


i need your love before i fall (save me)

by thejunglekook



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Hackers, Bad Boy Seo Changbin, Bodyguard Jeon Jungkook, Bodyguard Kim Taehyung | V, Coming Out, Hwang Hyunjin & Lee Felix are Best Friends, Lee Minho | Lee Know & Lee Felix are Brothers, M/M, Seo Changbin is Whipped, Shy Lee Felix, Soft Lee Felix, dancer!felix, dancer!hyunjin, dancer!minho, hacker!chan, hacker!jeongin, hacker!seungmin, rich!felix, rich!hyunjin, rich!minho, rich!woojin, thief!changbin, thief!jisung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-09-21 21:13:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 49,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17050658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejunglekook/pseuds/thejunglekook
Summary: "Hyung, why do you always sneak away during the night and come back so bruised and beaten?""It's all part of the job, Felix. Maybe I'll be able to tell you about it, someday."~Felix's family were living...comfortably.Scratch that, they were loaded. Lee Felix and his brother, Minho, had anything and everything they could have wanted. From the moment he was born, he could have whatever he asked for at the simple snap of his finger. Felix had it all, yet he still felt so alone.Seo Changbin is a thief, in simple terms. He and his friends make a living by stealing expensive items and selling them for so much more. He felt so content with his life of darkness, that is, until the night he met the sun in it's human form. Since then, he hasn't been able to get Felix out of his head.Felix and Changbin were polar opposites, and were never meant to be together. But at the wrong place, and the wrong time, their two very different worlds collided.





	1. don't wanna be lonely, just wanna be yours

**Author's Note:**

> i would just like to state that this is the most excited i have been for a fanfic since the day i published handsome man and his peasants almost a year ago!! honestly, i may be even more excited for this than i was for that story!
> 
> now, for those of you who don't know me yet, hi! i'm laur and i love to write (and i fail miserably at doing so). this story was spun inside my head by a dream i had a few nights ago, and it took me a little while to debating on writing something like this, but i eventually just said fuck it and started writing! so, here i am, publishing a brand new fic based about a group i have come to love dearly!
> 
> i hope everyone is able to love and enjoy this story as much as i love and enjoy writing it!
> 
> thanks for reading!! now, onto chapter one!

  
  
  
  
  
  
♔  
  
  


 

_"Go, go, go, go, go! C'mon, Felix, we're so close!"_

Felix took a breath, clicking buttons on his computer to fire at the enemy. There was only one enemy left, and he was searching about to find the person. At this moment, the person appears right in front of Felix's character. So, Felix shoots without thinking, knowing this could cost them the win if he were to miss. He heard gasps coming from both sides of his headset, knowing that his friends were waiting just as expectantly as he. Over and over, his mind was repeating the phrase, ' _please, please, please_.'

The winning music sounds in his headset, and Felix looks at the screen with excitement. ' _Team FANTASTIC FOUR Wins!_ ' is sitting on his screen, and he hears the other boys' elated voices through his headset. Felix let out a small breath of relief, and hears his friend, Hyunjin, say happily, "I can't believe we actually won! When J.ONE died, I swore we would be done for."

J.ONE speaks next, "That's what I thought, too! I can't believe Felix took down  _sixteen_  people by himself!"

Felix smiled to himself at the words, until listening as the fourth boy says, "I can't believe I died at the beginning! Literally two seconds into the game and someone kills me! Like,  _what the fuck?_ "

He hears Hyunjin laugh, before saying, "Shut up, SMIN00, you're  _always_  the first one to get killed!"

Hyunjin and SMIN00 begin bickering back and forth, so Felix interrupts the arguing with, "Are you guys up for another round? I feel another win heading our way," he smiled. His character sits in the waiting area along with Hyunjin's, but J.ONE and SMIN00 are no where to be seen. He sits patiently, and for a moment, there is complete silence along the lines. Then, Felix hears a rustling in the background, and a door creaking open. Curiosity fills him, and he slowly turns up his volume to get a closer listen. In the background, he can barely hear footsteps, until a deep voice comes over the silence,

_"Jisung, we were supposed to prepare for the mission twenty minutes ago! Get off the game and hurry up, Chan already has our plans set up and is waiting on you and Seungmin. Get your clothes on and come down."_

A very hectic J.ONE is heard over the speakers next, and quickly says, "Sorry, I-uh-chores! Yeah, I have so many chores to do right now, I can't play anymore today." He pauses, before continuing with, "Seungm—I mean, um,  _SMIN00_ , isn't it time for you to leave too?"

In a voice mirroring that of J.ONE, SMIN00 says, " _Shit_! Yeah, I have to run, as well. Uh, same time tomorrow, right?"

Felix and Hyunjin both agreed, and the two boys left with little goodbyes. The two characters left the screen, leaving only Felix and Hyunjin in the waiting area. They were quiet for a few seconds, and the room felt kind of awkward for the two boys. The awkward silence wasn't broken until later, when Hyunjin says, "That was weird to you too, right? Like...that was really weird."

Felix nodded, until realizing Hyunjin isn't able to see his movements. So, he agrees  _verbally_ , "It was weird to me, too. Honestly, since we started playing with them, it's been a little bit... _sketchy_. I don't know, we could always just be overthinking this whole thing, but it just seems strange that they both take off so frantically every-so-often," Felix pauses, recalling the words spoken by the man in the background. Felix quickly realized something that was said, and recalls it to Hyunjin, "The boy in the background...did you hear him say the names ' _Jisung_ ' and ' _Seungmin_ '?"

"I did! It made me wonder if those could be the names of J.ONE and SMIN00!" Hyunjin says excitedly. He takes a breath, before adding, "I didn't mind them not telling us their names at first, since it could be private to them and all, but how long have we been playing this together now? Three months? I just feel like they should trust us by now."

Felix and Hyunjin met their two friends during the game a little over three months ago. They were playing a duo round, and they were the only two teams left in the game. Before they decided to fight for a winner, the four boys began messaging back and forth. They hit it off right away, and before the game was over, they exchanged usernames and became friends. The four boys decided to become a team, and they have  _barely_  been defeated ever since!

Though, J.ONE and SMIN00 have always been very secretive about their lives. Felix and Hyunjin didn't mind sharing about themselves, as both were rather outgoing and friendly people. So, they openly discussed different areas in their lives.

Well, everything  _except_  the part where they are descendants from two of the biggest businesses is the nation.

Lee Felix is the son of Lee Yichen, the founder of Lee Entertainment. Since Lee Entertainment is one of the largest companies is all of South Korea, Felix grew up living in luxury. He and his brother, Minho, were able to always have everything they needed without any worry. Felix knew he had it very lucky—some people could even go as far as saying he was blessed to live such a life—and he made sure to humble himself instead of letting the fame and fortune go to his head. 

Felix and Hyunjin were basically born being best friends. Their fathers had been friends since they were children, so from the moment the two boys could walk, they were already being set up on playdates and having trips to the park. As they grew up, the two boys became completely  _inseparable_ , and are now the closest people in each other's lives. They do almost everything together, so much that they started to wonder if the universe meant for them to be brothers but accidentally made them friends instead. 

Though many don't believe in having a soulmate, Felix and Hyunjin  _know_  their souls are connected. As _best friend-soulmates_!

"Are you coming to dance practice today?" Hyunjin asks, changing the subject and bringing Felix out of his deep thoughts, "I was planning on going, but it's up to you."

Felix shrugged, but like the first time, remembers Hyunjin still can't see him. So, he answers with, "Yeah, I think Minho and I are both going today. Are you coming to mine afterwards, or am I going to yours?" He asked, waiting to hear Hyunjin's response.

Usually after practice, one boy always goes to the other's house. It's been something the two have done since they were little, so Felix assumed Hyunjin was going to be stay over as usual. Though, Hyunjin's answer was different than he expected, "I can't stay over tonight, Father is making me come along to one of the fancy parties—says it will teach me more for when I become CEO of the company. It's like he doesn't realize how much I  _don't_ want to take over the company when I'm older!"

Felix agreed with him, "Or, he could be like my father and not care if you want to take over or not. Can you believe that Father still hasn't chosen between Minho and I for CEO? The obvious choice is Minho, yet he is still dangling it over our heads! It's like he is trying to cause sibling rivalry, or something!"

He could hear Hyunjin beginning to answer, but is cut off by a women's voice in the background. With a sigh, Hyunjin says, "Mother is calling me now, probably to discuss the details of tonight's party. I'll see you at dance later, alright?"

Felix agrees, and the two boys bid their goodbyes. Felix removes his headset, setting it down beside his monitor and walking to his bed. He lays against the silky sheets, letting his mind begin to wander about. Is it normal to feel so lonely, even when he has so many people surrounding him at all times? He can have anything he could ever want, yet something still feels like it's missing. It's like there's a little hole sitting in his heart, and he's waiting to have it filled, yet nothing ever does. 

He sighed to himself, rolling onto his stomach and hugging a pillow close to his chest. Why is he thinking like this? He should be happy in the life he has! Yet, he feels so... _empty_. Will he ever find relief to the problem?

Luckily for him, his relief is waiting right around the corner.  
  
  
  


♚  
  
  
  


Changbin has learned three things in his many years of thieving: never hesitate during a mission, never get caught during a mission, and never fall in love with someone on the enemy team.

In seven years of doing this job, he has never broken a single rule. Okay, maybe he hesitated a  _little bit_  when he had to jump from the roof a building, but that one he lets slide. Though, since that moment, Changbin never lets himself break one of his three rules. He has seen the results of it happening, and he never wants to experience the things his past teammates had to face. God, some of the things he has seen on missions...sometimes he wonders if he will ever get over the emotional affects.

The time is now one twenty-nine in the morning, and Changbin can feel his nerves building in his chest. He's standing outside a large business, and is waiting for the moment Chan gives him the get-go to head inside. His fingers tap against the side of his thigh, and he he nibbles on the bottom of his lip in apprehension. He was waiting, his head pointed to the ground incase anyone were to walk by. God, how long does it take to hack into a security system? He's starting to get anxious waiting out in the open!

" _Bin, we're in!_ " speaks Chan, his voice coming through Changbin's earpiece. " _The door should be opened in three...two...one_." Just as Chan finished his sentence, the door to the building clicked open. Changbin sighed in relief, pulling his bandana to cover the bottom half of his face before making his way inside. The building was dark, and Changbin could barely make out what was right in front of him. The only light was coming from the door across the room, and as his instincts are telling him, he decides to go to the door.

Though, Changbin pauses once more when Chan's voice is heard once again, " _Remember, all you have to do is find an open computer and save all the data containing important information onto the hard drive I gave you. This should be a simple mission, as long as you be smart with your movements and don't make rookie mistakes. Got it, SpearB?_ "

The code name hits Changbin's ears, and a new sense of courage washes over him. Whenever his code name comes up, it's like he turns into a new and much braver person than he normally acts. Changbin is normally cold and timid, but  _SpearB_ is badass and strong. Changbin barely smiles, and in a hushed voice, he replies with, "I never make mistakes, CB. I'll be in and out before you know it—as long as you're my eyes and ears."

With that, Changbin is off. He peaks his head out of the open door, checking to see if the coast is clear, before stepping into the open hallway. He inches his way down the open hallway, checking the doors for anything that seemed to be important, yet only finding broom closets and empty office desks. Changbin huffed, continuing his way down the hall until reaching the final two rooms. Both doors were shut, and before Changbin could open either, Seungmin's voice comes into play.

" _Do not open the door on the right! Three security guards are inside the room trying to figure out why the cameras have stopped working. My suggestion is to get inside the left room before one of them decided to walk outside_ ," Seungmin says, and Changbin can hear the faint sound of keyboard clicks. Then, Seungmin quickly adds, " _From what I can tell, the room you're about to enter is the CEO's office, which is where all the needed information is locked! Go in there and get anything you can find, alright, Hyung?_ "

"Nice to see you've finally joined us, SMIN. Now, you should know I'm an expert at getting more than enough data by now, right?" Changbin smirked, opening the door to the office and gently shutting it behind him. From there, he quickly makes his way to the large desk, sitting down in the chair quickly and trying to open the computer. Like he had already guessed, the computer was locked, and Changbin had no idea what the password could be.

Changbin scoffed, "Password lock on the computer. Can any of you hack into it?" He asked hurriedly, his foot gently tapping away at the ground.

" _I can do it!_ " Jeongin excitedly adds, and Changbin guesses the other boys are sharing the same look he currently has on his face. Changbin can hear the way Seungmin sighs, and he can imagine the way Jisung is shaking his head right now. And, if he know the boys as well as he thinks, Chan is about to ask his if he is really sure he wants to do this.

" _Are you sure about this, IN?_ " Chan asks seriously, just like Changbin knew he would, " _SMIN and I could take care of this easily, if you would like. We just want to make sure you are ready to do things like this, just incase it costs us a mission_."

Changbin hears Jeongin huff, saying bitterly, " _You said that last time, Hyung! I have practiced so much since the last mission, and you know I am ready now! Let me at least try, please?_ "

Changbin rolls his eyes, and interrupts the bickering with a hasty, "Can someone  _please_ just get me into the computer? I really don't want to kick three security guards' asses tonight."

In the background, Changbin hears Jeongin's quiet sound of victory, before the little clicks of his computer begin sounding into Changbin's earpiece. He tries to wait as patiently as possible, reminding himself over and over that this is the first time Jeongin has gotten to help with a mission, and he needs to bear with him. But, as a minute of anxious waiting passes by, Changbin is beginning to get very worried. He was opening his mouth to say something—something that would hopefully hurry Jeongin up—but was cut off the by excited voice of the younger,

" _I found it, Hyung! Try typing in 'Tzuyu04,', it's the name of the CEO's daughter with the year she was born. From what I could see, it matches perfectly with the password on that computer._ " As Jeongin finishes his words, Changbin begins typing in the password he received. He was wishing silently in his mind for this password to work, hoping that it goes through the moment his finger touches the enter button. And, like he was hoping, he unlocks the computer on the first try.

Changbin sighs in relief, "I'm in the computer," he pauses, plugging in the hard drive and clicking the ' _extract all data_ ' button on the computer. The computer pops up with a loading bar, and he groans when seeing the timer at the bottom. Ten more minutes? Do they even have that much time to spare right now? With a sigh, he adds, "It says we have to wait ten minutes to get all the data. SMIN, how am I with the security guards? Are they still inside the room?"

As the words leave Changbin's mouth, he hears the other boy let out a string of curses, " _Fuck, fuck, fuck! Hyung, they're about to come in there! I know you didn't want to fight anyone tonight, but it looks like you might have to kick some ass_ ," Seungmin says, " _Show them that they shouldn't mess with SpearB!_ "

Changbin smirked, cracking his knuckles as he stands up from the desk chair. He walked closer to the door, and gets in a ready position for when the three emerge from outside. He takes a deep breath as the knob begins to wobble, before the door swings open. Changbin takes a short glance at the first guard, before swinging his back leg up to meet with the man's temple. He watches the man drop down to the ground, his body going completely limp as he's knocked out cold. Changbin's smirk deepens as he looks to the other guards, waiting to see which will make the first move.

The guard on the right swings towards Changbin, but the boy dodges the punch easily. The left guard tries the same, but just as before, Changbin dodged. He elbows the right guard in the chest, whilst kicks the left guard in one of his knees. The left guard doubles over in pain, leaving it only Changbin versus the other. The guard swings, Changbin dodges and uppercuts before the other can even react. This goes on for a while, until Changbin believes the guard is about to back down from the fight.

He was much too distracted by the first guard, that Changbin is completely blindsided when the second guard sends a sucker-punch into his eye. The boy was stunned for a split second, but it was just enough time to give the guards an advantage on him. He feels punches coming into his stomach, his shoulders, and all over his face. He was trying to fight back, but it being two-against-one was making the fight much harder than he had anticipated. For a moment, Changbin was beginning to think he was about to lose the mission.

One thing you should know about Seo Changbin: he will never lose a mission.

Changbin notices the police batons located on the belts of both guards, and grabs them before the guards could realize. Changbin elbows one guard in his nose, feeling the bones crack under his movement, before he swings the baton at his head. The guard drops to the ground, laying over the back of the third guard already resting on the ground.

It seems that Guard Number Two was so shocked to see the other's knocked out, he almost forgot that a fight was going on. Changbin takes this moment to his advantage, kneeing the guard between the legs and whacking him on the back of the head with the baton to finish the job. He stands breathlessly for a few seconds, looking the the damage he caused the three guards with a small smirk. Though, he is taken out of his daze when the computer lets out a ' _ding!_ '

Changbin rushes to the computer, seeing the files of the computer have now been saved to the hard drive. He sighs in relief, quickly extracting the device and running out of the room before anyone else could catch him. He rushes down the hallway, entering the room he had first came through, and leaving through the back door. The door slams behind him, and he lets himself catch his breath for a few seconds. His back his against the door, and his head falls back against it with a small thud.

" _Good work tonight, Changbin. I was a little worried when the guards had the upper hand, but I knew you would be able to stop them!_ " begins Chan. " _I'm guessing you will be heading to the park for a few hours, so all I ask is to not lose the hard drive!_ "

Changbin silently laughed, "I have it in my pocket now. After the beating I just had, this is never leaving my sight!"

Changbin heard the other boys laugh, all of them giving him little congratulations, before logging out of the earpiece. Changbin takes the piece out of his ear and slides it into his pocket, next to the drive. He then removes his bandana from over his face, letting it hang around his neck as he begins to hurry in the direction of his favorite park. He checked the time on his watch, reading two-seventeen in the morning. He let out a breath of relief, before continuing on his way.

That was now his fastest mission so far, yet he has a feeling the night hasn't fully ended.  
  
  


♔  
  


Felix isn't normally one to sneak out of the house, but after the terrible afternoon he has had, he needed time to get away.

This was probably the worst dance practice he has had in his _life_ ; Felix simply couldn't get the choreography the way it was intended. He was getting so angry with himself, and he could tell his teacher was beginning to get angry with him. Hell, even Minho and Hyunjin were angry with him! He was making mistakes you would see on a first grader, not someone who has taken dance every day since they were two! It was stupid mishaps that made the entire practice painfully awful.

He stayed almost four hours after practice ended to try and perfect the routine. Yet, even with the extra hours spent working, he was still unable to get things right. His entire body ached in pain of it all, and he wanted to scream at the anger of himself. Honestly, if Jeongguk (his body guard) wouldn't have forced him to come home, Felix would still be there working his ass off. But, like he said, his body guard forced him out of the room and dragged him back to his home.

The whole ride to the house, Felix was getting lectured by Jeongguk for overworking his body. Felix only half-listened to the conversation, due to his anger at both himself and the world. He knew Jeongguk was only trying to look out for him—and he was very thankful for that!—but he knows his own limits better than anyone else. Though, it does feel nice having Jeongguk around as a small reminder that people do still care about his wellbeing.

Jeongguk was hired as Felix's body guard when Felix turned thirteen. Jeongguk was only sixteen that the time, but the Lees hired him after one look. He was still so youthful at the time, but his fighting skills were better than almost any other guard in the country! And, due to the very small age difference, Felix and Jeongguk were able to have a brother-like relationship with each other. It was sweet, and Felix loved Jeongguk more than anything. Only, at this moment, he needed time to be alone.

When Felix walked through the door of his house, he was greeted by the angry look of his father standing in the living room. He gulped, his actions growing timid as he stare into the dark aura surrounding his father. When the man stood from his seat, angrily pacing the floors, Felix knew something bad was about to happen.

"Where have you been for the past four hours?" His father asked harshly, looking at the boy with a glare that could hurt someone.

Felix took a breath, hoping it could calm himself, before replying, "I was at dance practice, Father."

" _Don't_  lie to me. Minho came home from dance practice ages ago! What were you doing out there, hm? I always knew it would be you that ruins this company, from the moment I saw you, I knew you would destroy everything I have built for us!" He yelled, and there was a certain slur in his speech that Felix recognized from the many times this had happened before; his father was highly intoxicated.

Felix took a deep breath through his nose, before turning around and walking away from the other man. His father's yells filled the room, but Felix ignores it and continues until he is sitting inside his room with the door locked behind him. As his door slams shut, Felix lets out an angry groan. He takes one of his pillows and tossing it again his wall as a heated movement. He checks the time sitting on his clock, seeing it shows as a quarter-passed-one. This was when he gets an idea, one that would work better than anything else he could think of. 

Felix walks to his large window, opening the glass and being hit with the cool night air. He takes a step out, standing onto the roof of his house and trying to plan his journey down. He notices a tree nearby, and the boy decides to use this as his make-shift ladder to the ground. So, after stepping gently onto one of the large branches, Felix climbs down the tree and takes off. He doesn't know where he's going, but as long as he's away from his house, he couldn't care less.

That is how Felix ended up here, sitting in the middle on an empty park at two in the morning. He's simply laying down in the dewy grass, watching the stars glimmer in the clear night sky. It was relaxing, and part of him wishes he would have thought of this idea sooner than now. Though, he really wished it would have been summer when the idea hit him, because the cool autumn air is causing chill-bumps to appear along his smooth skin. Though, he ignored the cold and focused on clearing his clattered mind.

Part of him wondered if the things his dad said were actually true, and if he really was meant to destroy the company and all it's worth. The thought puts an ache in his chest, knowing this business was something so important to his parents. If he were to ruin it, they would never be able to forgive him. God, they would  _hate_  him! He would be an embarrassment to the family, would be an embarrassment to the business, would be an embarrassment to  _himself_. Everything would be ruined, and it would all be his fault.

Felix takes a shaky breath. He doesn't want to believe the words, but his mind keeps telling him how true they are. Though, whenever his father drinks, he normally yells at one of the family members. Depending on which boy passes him first, it could be either Felix or Minho at the end of the aggression; or, if he is too far gone, he would scream at both. It used to be much harder to deal with, but now that Felix as grown older, he is used to it now.

Felix stares at the sky, eyes gazing over the individual stars resting in the sky. He sighed to himself, sitting up and resting his arms on his bent knees. The park was dark, empty, and quiet, yet Felix didn't feel alone. Shockingly, he felt more peaceful here than he has in ages! It was beginning to feel like he wasn't really alone in the first place, and that maybe someone else was here keeping him company?

"Who the hell are you, and why are you sitting in my spot?" asked a voice coming from behind. Deep and dark, the voice continues, "I come to this park every night, and I don't remember anyone else being here."

Felix's heart jumps into his throat, and he quickly turns around to see the dark figure standing about a foot behind him. Felix gulps, completely stunned and unable to form a coherent reply. His mouth opens and closes more times than he can count, and he can see the eyes of the other staring at him deeply. The mysterious eyes seem to make him even more anxious, as he subconsciously scratches on the back on his wrist out of nervousness. Though, he tried to compose himself, knowing he needed to leave before the stranger gets even more upset.

"I-I didn't know I was in your spot, I'm sorry! I will leave now, I swear! I was j-just having a bad day, and I was wanting to clear my head?" Felix shakes his head, "Fuck, sorry, I'm rambling now. Here, I'll get out of your hair now! The park is big, I'll just go to the other side of—"

" _Oh my god, I was joking!_ " The other boy says loudly, cutting off Felix just as he was about to stand up. Felix's head barely tilted in confusion as the boy sits down on the grass beside him, continuing much quieter with, "It's really no big deal, especially if you've had a bad enough day already."

Felix sighs in relief, hugging his knees to his chest as his heart-rate begins to slow down. He was panicking, but now that the other has shown him some kindness, Felix feels much more comfortable. Though, he is still a bit nervous about the situation, since it is after two in the morning, and he is sitting in the middle of a dark park with a complete stranger. What if this person is a murderer? What would happen if he gets murdered and his body is never found again? Well, at least he knows Minho would get the family business.

Felix sighs, his face resting in his hands. The whole reason for being out here is to  _not_  think about the business, so why is this all his mind is bringing up? He just wants to be at peace for a little while, if that isn't too much for him to ask. So, he tries to block the thoughts from coming into his mind, but it's  _hard_. It's hard because all Felix has been doing for years is stress about his family live versus his dreams for his future, and his sick of it! He's tired of all being the one to worry about everything, and is ready to take a step back.

"You have a lot on your mind," Felix looked up from his hands when the other boy begins to speak. The other was looking at his with calm eyes, and says, "You looked tense, and I can tell you were stressing out about something. I don't normally do this for people, but since I'm already here and you look like you could really use some time to vent, I'm willing to listen." And for the first time, Felix was finally feeling a sense of relief from his problems.

This stranger—this pure soul sent from above—is offering to be a listener for Felix's to let out all his thoughts. How can he reject the offer? Then again, he still doesn't know this person, and it could be dangerous to tell his whole life story to someone he doesn't know. So, Felix skeptically says, "How do I know I can trust you? I don't even know your name! For all I know, you could be plotting out seventeen different ways to kill me." Felix paused, looking over at the boy, before adding, "I can't even see your face because of the hood on your jacket, you know."

He listened as the other boy sighed, and for a few moments, everything was quiet. But then, Felix watched as the boy pulled the hood back from his head and letting it fall over his back. The boy looked back at Felix, and for a few moments, they locked eyes with each other. Felix was speechless; this boy...he was  _perfect_. Felix was looking at him in awe, until noticing the black eye being formed on his right eye, and the small bust on his bottom lip. Felix's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked up at the other as he waited for some kind of explanation.

The other boy gulped, before saying calmly, "I fell down some stairs earlier, but I'm okay. I'm Changbin, by the way."

"Felix," speaks the awe-struck boy, still watching Changbin's every little movement with widened eyes.

He watched Changbin smirk slightly, and their eyes locked once again. Then, Changbin said in a tone Felix couldn't recognize (could it have been flirty? Felix didn't want to believe it, but  _god_ , he hoped it was true!), "Well, Felix, we seem to have all the time in the world, and I believe you were just about to tell me the reason you are sitting in an empty park at two-thirty in the morning. Only the crazies come out this late, don't you know that?"

Felix looked at him with a hint of a smile, "If only the crazies are out this late, why are you out here with me?"

Changbin's smirk deepened, and Felix watched as he leaned back into the grass. Felix heard the small chuckle coming from Changbin's parted lips, and it made his heart pound in wonder. Then, in his deep tone, Changbin says, "Oh, baby, there's a lot you don't know about me yet."

And though Felix's heart boomed at the words, he couldn't help but take notice at one word Changbin added to his sentence...

_Yet._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you again for reading! i have noticed so many different authors do this for their books, so i decided to do so as well! i made a google drive for how i picture the character, the scenery, and a small playlist of songs to listen to while reading! i will add the link here, so make sure to check it out!!
> 
>  
> 
> [click here to see it!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11A-wCbbYP5AIOpOn25k_B0fL8Qi3v-bWWna2CzFaruA/edit?usp=sharing)
> 
>  
> 
> make sure to follow me on twitter, i will constantly post sneak peaks and any updates or ideas i have for this story! so, make sure to hmu! @/nctzuyu
> 
> thanks for reading! all my love ~lauren


	2. won't you stay here with me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the second chapter is finally finished, and i'm so pumped!!!
> 
> like i said before, this honestly is the most excited i have been for a book. the storyline i have planned out for this,,,,y'all are going to be shaken. stirred. shook. it's going to be amazing.
> 
> thank you to everyone that has read this fic! this book is basically my pride and joy, so to anyone that's reading it right now, i really appreciate you and i hope you love it!
> 
> now, onto chapter two!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
♚  
  
  
  
  


 

Changbin gets home a little after four-thirty the next morning.

Part of him debated on entering the apartment quietly, but he simply didn't care enough to do so. He was exhausted from the mission and staying at the park so late, that all he really cared about was getting in his bed. So, when the door may have slammed behind him, Changbin simply shrugged his shoulders as he continued walking. He leaves his shoes beside the door and lets his bare feet pitter-patter across the floors. It wasn't long until he reached his bedroom, where he stripped himself of his dark clothing and jumped into his bed to let sleep overtake him.

Though, it seemed sleeping wasn't on his side today.

Changbin is shaken out of his sleep at eight-thirty, and with only four hours of sleep, he was really not in the mood to have someone around. He groaned aloud, debating on smacking whoever was there until they left him alone to sleep. Groggily, Changbin could barely acknowledge the dip in his bed, until he felt the presence of another person beside him. Changbin opened one eye to see the culprit, and his grouchiness immediately subsides at the sight of Jeongin laying beside.

Changbin sighed quietly to himself, before asking the younger in a soft voice, "Jeonginnie, what are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be at school or something?"

He could see the slightest hint of a smile on Jeongin's face, but knew the younger was trying to hide it. A few seconds later, in an equally tired voice, Jeongin says, "It's Saturday, Hyung! Plus, I probably would have skipped today anyway, especially after how the mission went last night..." Jeongin's words trailed off, and the room goes quiet once again. Though, Changbin furrowed his eyebrows at the younger's words, sitting up in his beaded rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Changbin winces when his hand touches his right eye. Oh, right. For a split second, he had forgotten about his beat-down from the previous night, but now that his eye is throbbing and his torso is in agony, it's all coming back to him. He could barely hear Jeongin's quiet gasp at his looks, before the youngest was sitting up and looking over Changbin's purple eye and busted lip. Changbin avoided looking towards the boy, because he knows Jeongin will be sporting the sad puppy-dog eyes that make his heartbreak.

But, when Jeongin lets out the softest little sigh, Changbin couldn't help but glance. Just like he had assumed, the younger was pouting with his doe-eyes even wider than normal. Changbin could tell he was worrying, and he didn't want to stress the boy out any more than he already was, so he tried to think of some way to reassure him. Calmly, he says, "Jeonginnie, I'm fine, okay? You should know, I can handle a few punches, easy!"

And he did see the small smile his words gave Jeongin. Though, it was only there for a split second, before his frown slowly returned once more. Changbin could feel his heartbreak, but he didn't have a chance to even react before Jeongin was standing from the bed. Changbin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the boy, but Jeongin was looking at him seriously, before telling him, "Binnie Hyung, come talk to Chan Hyung, please? He had sent me in here to get you, but I got distracted when I saw..." Jeongin shakes his head, "Never-mind, just come into the living room, okay?"

After these words are said, Jeongin walks out of the room. Changbin groans, wanting to grab his pillow and sleep for another day. But, he knows that whenever Chan needs to speak with one of them, it is always important. So, very reluctantly, he rolls out of his bed, and tiredly grabs the pair of sweats and a white t-shirt laying on his floor. He throws the clothes on over his body, before walking out of his room with a little yawn. He walks down the hallway once more, and can hear Jisung and Seungmin sleeping as he passes by their door. He shakes his head with a little laugh. God, they were both such loud sleepers.

He walks into the living room, seeing Jeongin seated in a chair with his laptop sitting on his lap. Chan was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up against the coffee table as his own laptop was resembling the stance of Jeongin's. Chan looked up from his computer, noticing Changbin standing at the end of the hallway. His eyes brightened a bit as he noticed the younger, and makes room for him to sit on the couch. Chan closes his laptop as Changbin walks over, setting it to the side so they could have an actual discussion.

Changbin flops onto the couch beside Chan, looking at the elder and saying, "What'd you want to talk to me about, Hyung? From the way Jeongin reacted, it seemed pretty urgent."

Changbin watched Chan sigh to himself, his face growing from bright and happy to serious and resolute. The older then says, "I was wanting to talk to you about the mission from last night. I'm very happy with the information you received—it was much more than we even needed!—I'm just worried, I guess?" Chan pauses, looking to his hands before adding, "Changbin, you could have gotten hurt so much worse than you are, you realize that, right?"

Changbin rolls his eyes, "Is this what you were wanting to talk about?" He asks, scoffing to himself, "Hyung, I'm fine! I'm just a little bruised up, but you should see how bad the three guards looked after I handled them! They are going to be feeling that fight for weeks!"

Chan looks at him with a look Changbin finds unreadable. He was disappointment mixed with a bit of solitude, and when the older sighs, Changbin feels a deep pit settling in the bottom of his stomach. Chan was acting so much different than normal, and Changbin really didn't like it. For some reason, Changbin was beginning to get a guilty feeling in his chest, and soon became so strong that he had to look away from Chan to avoid the feeling. Though, he isn't able to get away with this, because Chan begins to speak once again.

"Changbin, this is serious, alright? I don't want you getting hurt, because when you get hurt, we all get hurt. We're a family, Changbin, and we can't have one of the family members getting wounded," Chan sighed, and when Changbin looked at the boy, he knew the exact words Chan was about to say before he could even say them, "You remember how we met, right? We were both trying to steal the same information on the same night, but we got caught? I watched you get shot, Changbin! I can't have you getting hurt like that again, I would never forgive myself."

Changbin sighed, and like before, everything was beginning to grow serious once more. He hated this feeling; Changbin felt trapped in a topic he didn't want to discuss, and the silence coming from Chan and Jeongin was just making everything even worse. God, Jeongin is still in here. Changbin looks to the younger, seeing him watching the conversation unfold with his large, puppy-like eyes darting back and forth between his hyungs. If Changbin hadn't been so stressed, he would have commented on how cute Jeongin looked.

But, Changbin was stressing out. He doesn't want to keep discussing this, because it's pointless. He is fine! Bruises will fade away in a few days, and aren't even anything to worry about! Chan is just making mountains out of molehills, and it stressing about the small things. Though Changbin knew this conversation was serious, he tried to bring things calm again, "Hyung, I am fine. I'm smarter now than I was back then, and I won't make any more stupid mistakes. Plus, I'm SpearB, and I will not get hurt so easily!"

Chan looked at the boy, and for a moment, everything was quiet. It wasn't until Chan lets a small smile onto his face before he knew the conversation had finally ended. Changbin felt a bit relieved, and as he lays back against the couch cushions, he feels himself finally start to relax. Honestly, this felt so peaceful, he might have been able to fall right back to sleep. As he closes his eyes, a sense of serenity washes over him, and he could feel himself entering into dreamland once again.

Though, he wasn't able to sleep long before he was awakened with a scream.

"Goddammit, how did I die again? I'm so sick of dying every time this game starts!" yells Seungmin, and he can hear Jisung's laughter filling the room next. Changbin wanted to groan, but he didn't even have a moment to do that before the yelling started once again. "Hyunjin, I swear to god if you let this person—they're right in front of you! How do you not see them? Just look up, for god's sake!"

Changbin sits up from his comfortable position, resting his back against the armrest of the couch. Chan was walking back from the kitchen with a bowl of cup noodles in his hand, and Changbin barely hears the words he mutters under his breath, "Oh god, they started the game early today. If there's anymore yelling in this house, I think my eardrums may burst."

Changbin looks at the nearby clock, and as Chan had said, it is rather early for the video game to be starting: it's only ten-thirty, and the boys usually start playing around one. Though, Changbin really didn't mind the noise as much as the other's, because he would probably leave before it gets loud anyway. Or, he would just ignore them. Either option seems to work for him.

Changbin was about to say something, until Jeongin was springing up from his chair and gently walking to sit between the two boys on the couch. Then, he looks at Chan with his cutest glance, before opening his mouth as a signal for 'feed me! 'Chan rolled his eyes fondly, picking up his noodles in his chopsticks and feeding them to the younger, who quietly hummed in approval. Changbin wanted to gag as he watched the scene, because it's just so cute; Jeongin is basically the friend group's baby, and even if Changbin acts tough, he always has a little small spot for the boy.

The three boys sit in a small silence, simply living in each other's presence. Jeongin grabbed his laptop and reopened his latest tab, millions of numbers and codes showing up on the screen. Changbin looked at the screen with furrowed eyebrows, having no idea what all the numbers mean, but watching the boy as he does his work. Jeongin was concentration hard on whatever task was in front of him, paying close attention to which numbers to change or switch around, and whenever he needed to add something in a new place.

The boys were caught up in watching Jeongin's hacking (and Chan eating is noodles) that when a scream comes from Jisung's room, it causes all three to jump in fright. "Shit! We were so close!" there's a small pause, which normally indicates one of the teammates is talking, before Jisung then says much more calm, "No, Felix, it's alright! Second place is great too! You basically carried the team on your bare back this round."

Goodbyes are heard next, and Changbin swears he hears someone say they will resume at their normal time, but that isn't what catches his interest. No, what catches the interest of Changbin is the name Jisung called out: Felix. He can't help but remember the boy from the night before, with the dark brown hair and saddened eyes. It makes Changbin's heart barely warm at the thought, until he shakes his head to get the thoughts from his mind. He doesn't even know the kid, so why is he all Changbin can think about?

There was something about the kid that has been stuck inside Changbin's head, and though he would never admit it, Changbin didn't want the thoughts leaving anytime soon. It makes him so angry with himself, because how can a random boy he met once take up this kind of attention in his mind? He doesn't even know Felix's last name, and that fact makes him want to give Felix his own last name.

God, he did not just think that.

Changbin cringes at himself, wanting to hide away from his own mind until it will think about different subjects. Yet, even when he tries to change his thinking direction, Felix is always lingering in the back of his mind, and Changbin was sick of it! He hated this feeling he has right now, where his stomach his filling with butterflies over the thought of the boy's smile, and when his heartbeat quickens when he thinks of the boy's laugh. Changbin especially hates the grin he gets on his own face when he remembers Felix's voice, the deep-yet-smooth voice that pours out of his mouth like the sweetest honey.

Changbin feels helpless.

He's so caught up in his thoughts and memories that he doesn't realize when the two teenagers enter in the living room. Changbin doesn't see the way the four boys stare at each other in a confused wonder at why he was smiling at nothing, and he completely misses the confused questions to Chan and Jeongin to see if they know what could be making Changbin feel this way. Changbin isn't brought out of his own mind until he feels the presences of someone in his personal space, the small breath of someone hitting against his cheek, making him slightly cringe to himself.

"He doesn't even notice me sitting here! Are we sure he's okay? Chan, have you checked him for a concussion or anything else that could have caused him head-trauma?" asks Jisung, waving a hand in front of Changbin's face. Changbin unnoticeable rolls his eyes, before shoving the younger away from him. Jisung falls back onto an unknowing Jeongin, and the two boys groan aloud. Jisung let out a quiet curse, glaring at Changbin as he resits into his seat from before, crossing his arms over his chest with a little pout.

Changbin can't help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed over getting caught in his little daze, but he would never mention it. For now, he puts back on his stern exterior, and looks at the other four boys, waiting to see which one is going to be the first to ask him a question. The four boys look back and forth at each other, almost like they are wondering who will ask what each of them are thinking, not wanting to be the one to do it.

Finally, after way too long of an awkward silence, Seungmin sighs to himself. Then, he says, "Since no one else is going to do it, I guess I will. Changbin-Hyung, what was making you smile dazzlingly at the wall? You looked so peaceful and happy, like those cheesy characters in romance movies. I don't think I have ever seen you look like this—and, for the love, don't make me see it again. I thought I was going to gag for a second-" Seungmin is cut off from his words as Chan hits his arm with a look Changbin is unable to read.

"What Seungminnie meant to say was, what is making you this happy? You are normally so much more...what's the word I'm looking for..?" Chan pauses, thinking out loud for a second.

"Scary?"

"Cold?"

"Inhospitable?"

" _Disconnected_ ," Chan finishes, glaring at the younger boys and their very bad choice of words. Chan shakes his head at them, before continuing with, "I have known you for so long, and I have barely seen this expression on you—though, I wish you would be happy like this more often! It's nice seeing you so bright and warm, you look nice like this." He finishes, and though Changbin knew it was a compliment, he felt awkward trying to accept it. Was his smile really such a big deal? A slight change of his normal frowns shouldn't be much of a consequential thing. Really, he doesn't understand why they are taking such an interest in this.

"I wonder if Binnie-Hyung met someone at the park last night," inquires Jeongin, and Changbin knows his face is giving everything away. He tried to keep himself contained, but with all of their eyes watching his every move, Changbin knew he would end up giving himself away. He makes the mistake of locking eyes with Jeongin, and that is when he knew it was all over, "You did! You met someone at the park last night, and now you're hung up on them!"

Changbin tried to disagree, but it was really no use. The boys know him better than he knows himself, and they could easily tell whenever he was lying. So, as the many questions come flooding in all at once, Changbin decided it was best to simply answer them and get it over with. Though, he wasn't able to understand what any of them were asking, as they were all talking over one another. He waited for a second for the excitement to die down, until Jisung's voice was the last one to be heard (which, really, isn't much of a surprise).

"What was their name?" Jisung asked excitedly, looking at Changbin with big eyes.

Changbin tried so hard to keep a cool composure, he really did. But, as the name slips past his lips, a smile breaks onto his face, "His name is Felix, alright? Can we drop the conversation now?"

While the three youngest were excited, Changbin noticed the way Chan furrowed his eyebrows, grabbing Jeongin's laptop and looking up something he wasn't able to see. Though, Changbin distracts himself by hearing Seungmin as Jisung, "Wait, Jisung, we play with a boy named Felix! You don't think they are the same one, do you?"

Jisung shrugged his shoulders, "Possibly, but I doubt it. There is a lot of people named Felix in the world, so it would have to be a lucky shot for them to be the same person."

The conversation began to grow quiet, and it wasn't until Chan pulls Changbin's attention for the silence to be broken, "Changbin, you didn't happen to get the last name for this Felix, did you?" Though it was a rather strange question to receive, Changbin answer Chan anyway.

Changbin shakes his head, "No, why?"

Changbin watches the older boy click a picture on the laptop, before turning it to face him. He then asks, "Was this the boy you met last night?"

Changbin squinted his eyes to view the picture, before the quickly widened in surprise. On the screen was Felix, looking a little younger than he appeared to be last night, and dressed in what looked to be an expensive suit. He was standing next to another boy, one who looked to be a tad older than he, and an older man that Changbin guessed was their father. Changbin studied the picture more and more, until finally realizing who the man in the picture was. _No fucking way_.

"Changbin, the boy you're so hung up on is _Lee Felix_. Lee Felix as in Lee Entertainment, heir to the multi-billion-dollar and largest entertainment industry in the fucking world! You were in the presence of the richest brat in all of Korea! Please, for the love of god, tell me you got this kid's number!" Chan says excitedly, looking at Changbin with hopeful eyes.

Slowly, Changbin begins to shake his head. Chan groaned, and before he could make a word for protest, Changbin was already speaking, "He really wasn't a brat, Hyung! The kid has a really good heart, even if he has more money than we could even imagine. Plus, I think he has been having a hard time at home, because he looked so stressed when we were t—"

"Oh, yes, having everything handed to him on a silver platter sounds so stressful! His poor, pitiful soul, he must have everything so hard!" Seungmin sarcastically claims, before looking at Changbin bitterly. He then continues with, "I am not trying to be disrespectful to you, Hyung, but what the fuck? You can't really be hearing what you're saying, right? I say you get him to tell you the family secrets so we steal every last penny they have!"

The other boys agree, but Changbin quickly protests. He couldn't do that to Felix, not after how pitiful he looked the night before. He looked like a puppy that had just been abandoned, and Changbin really didn't want to hurt him; he looked like he had been hurt enough. Though, Seungmin's words started to echo in his head, and Changbin could feel the greed and envy coming out in himself. What does he have to be so upset over? The kid could have anything he could ever want, yet he was throwing himself a pity-party in the park? And for what cause?

Changbin locks eyes with Chan, and he can tell the boy was conjuring up a plan. With a smirk, Chan says, "I have the most brilliant idea! Changbin, you will not only learn the secrets of the company, but you will do so much more than that. You are going to make Lee Felix fall in love with you, so in love that he will worship the ground you walk. You are going to make him feel like he is the most precious thing in this world, and when you know you have him wrapped around your finger, that's when we steal everything they are worth. Not only will we ruin the company, but we will also ruin their future, too."

The boys were looking at Chan with eyes of astonishment, knowing this could be everything they dream of. This is what they have been doing everything for, and it could be the break they deserve. Chan quickly adds to the plan, "Once we take the money, we can leave this shit-hole and move somewhere off-the-radar; maybe Australia? A small town in Australia where we can just relax, knowing we have everything we could ever need. We could live by the beach, I could teach all of you English so we seem like we would ' _fit in_ ', and we could be happy together."

He was looking at Changbin with hopeful eyes, and Changbin let the plan linger in his mind. God, it sounded amazing. The more he thinks about it, the more he wants to agree. This could be everything they are looking for, and honestly, this is what their whole ordeal is really about. The boys turn to watch him, waiting to see what he will say in return, and Changbin knows they are all hoping for a yes. Fuck, is he really about to do this?

Is Changbin willing to destroy innocent Felix in order to get what he knows he deserves?

"Well, Changbin, are you in?"

The answer is yes. If destroying Felix is what it takes, then so be it.

Changbin smirks, "I'm in."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


♔  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Felix finally got the choreography.

He walked into practice this day with the happiest attitude he's had in weeks, and it took a major effect with his dancing. His teachers—Jimin and Hoseok—gave him compliment after compliment, and for a little while, he finally felt like he was important. He, Hyunjin, and Minho were able to finish learning the dance, and after a few more practice-runs over the choreography, they were about to film the dancing video to upload on the shared channel for all their viewers to see.

He was very excited to, say the least.

This places him here, drinking the remaining bits of his water bottle as Minho is readying the camera for filming. Hyunjin hands Felix the towel he was just using, and Felix lets out a breathy 'thanks' in response. The two boys lean against the cold mirror, letting the glass cool their blazing skin. Felix dabs the sweat on his skin onto the towel, wiping down his face and neck before gently tossing it to the side. He takes another sip of his water, finishing it off before throwing it into the trashcan.

As Felix turns to walk back, Minho tells the other boys that the camera is ready. The boys get into the starting positions, and they watch Jimin walk towards the radio as Hoseok goes behind the camera. Felix takes a breath, his position ready as he watches Hoseok click a button on the camera, before looking up to Jimin. In the corner, Felix can see Jimin pressing play on the radio until the music is finally heard throughout the small dance studio. Felix counts the beats in his head, fluttering his eyes closed until it's his time to begin.

Just like that, the dance has started.

Felix focuses on his movements, making them sharp yet flowing, harsh yet soft, and making the hard dance look so easy. His eyes open, and he is biting his lip as the next moves go by. He tries to keep the beat in his head, but his body is moving half by pure muscle memory. Though, as the time goes by, Felix knows this is going better than he could have imagined. He and Hyunjin locked eyes for a brief moment, and without thinking, he sends a wink flying the other's way. Felix watched the little smile come onto Hyunjin's face, before the other began to simply shake his head.

Just as they practiced, Felix spins on the back of his heel so he was now the center dancer. This is the part he has been most nervous for, and he is silently wishing to hit his moves perfectly. He's more than focused, and it going through every instruction and correction inside of his head to perfect the moves. He looks into the camera like he has practiced the many times before, and smirks in the slightest. He's making it through the dance, and from what he's feeling, everything is going quite well.

Then, the times comes to do the move Felix struggled with. He has hit the move every time today, yet Felix still worries that he will mess up the part once again. He holds his breath as he feels the music leading up it. Felix locked eyes with Minho in the mirror, and his brother gave him the slightest nod to boost his confidence. Felix lets out his breath, a small smile growing onto his face until the moment finally comes. Then, in a split second, Felix and the two boys do the complicated dance move.

And Felix does the move perfectly. 

As he switches his place with Hyunjin, he notices Hoseok's silent cheers from one corner of the room. It makes him smile, knowing he has the approval on his teachers and the approval of himself. Now that the hardest part is over, Felix is able to relax into the other motions of the dance. This section of the dance is much more sensual, so the fluid motions and movements are what makes the section even more special. Felix feels himself getting into the choreography more, and from the corner of his eye, he can tell that Minho is resembling him.

Though their father has tried for years to cause a rivalry between the two, Felix and Minho have always been very close. Dancing is the main hobby the two boys share, and it helps bring them together throughout the bad times. Plus, due to their father's drinking habits, the boys were able to grow closer because of the very rough circumstances. Felix can remember the many times he would get scared from the yelling as a child, resulting in him crawling into Minho's bed to stay with him for the night.

The music begins to reach the highest point, and Felix knows that the ending is near. He hits his movements on the beat of the music, each motion graceful and light until the final ending pose. Felix ends the dance sharp, landing down on his knee as Hyunjin and Minho stand at either side, doing poses of their own. And like that, the dance is finally over. They hold the pose for a few seconds, until each of them breaks away. Felix lays on his back, catching his breath as Hyunjin and Minho begin to lay beside him. They were all out of breath, and Felix barely heard the praises being shouted to them by their dance instructors.

Felix can feel Minho sit up, barely bowing to Hoseok and Jimin, before saying, "Thank you for teaching us, Hyungs! Jimin-Hyung, make sure to tell Yoongi-Hyung we said thank you for letting us use his song for the video! The three of us really appreciate it!"

Felix sits up in time to see Jimin's big, shy smile at the mention of Yoongi's name. With the hint of pink sitting on his cheeks, he says, "I'll tell him tonight! He loves you three, and he has always said you are welcome to use his songs to film dance covers anytime you want!" Jimin finished with his blush running down his neck, and the boys watch as Hoseok snickers at his friend's embarrassed appearance. Jimin's crush on Yoongi was so obvious, yet Jimin has always thought of himself as being 'slick' and keeping his crush concealed.

Felix sees Hyunjin's smirk, and he knows Hyunjin is about to say something to make Jimin even more embarrassed. Though, Jimin can see what's about to happen, and quickly grabs Hoseok by the arm and drags him towards the door, grabbing their dance bags on the way out. He hurriedly tells the boys, "Well, it's been fun! We'll see you three next week!" before walking out the door. The three boys giggle to themselves at Jimin's reaction, knowing he gets flustered very easily. Hoseok, on the other hand, is much more nonchalant about these types of things: he and his girlfriend, Mina, have been together for years now, and he still gets excited whenever she is brought up.

A phone begins to ring throughout the room, and Felix immediately recognizes it as Jeongguk's ringtone. He stands up from the floor with a groan, walking to his dance bag and pulling the device from the pocket. Jeongguk tells the boy he is outside, and that he and the others should come out now since it is getting quite dark. Felix agrees, and the two bid their goodbyes. Felix looks to the other two boys, and says, "Jeonggukkie says he's outside now, and that we should hurry before it gets too dark outside."

He hears Minho laugh, before saying, "Jeonggukkie has always been such a worrier. C'mon, guys, let's not keep our strongman waiting any longer!"

The two younger boys laugh, quickly gathering up their stuff and following Minho out of the room and outside the building. Jeongguk was parked in the front of the lot, the blacked-out SUV running to get going quickly. The three boys quickly get in the car—Minho in the front with Hyunjin and Felix sitting in the back. Jeongguk notices the extra boy in the car, and say politely, "Hello, Hyunjin. Have you contacted Taehyung to tell him you're finished with practice? I don't mind you waiting for him with us, if you need to."

Hyunjin grins cheekily, glancing at Felix with a knowing look. He then says in his cheeky tone, "I already told Taehyungie I was spending the night with Felix tonight, sorry Gukkie! Though, I bet if _you_ called Taehyungie, he would be here in a heartbeat."

Felix knows Jeongguk is blushing by the way he clears his throat. He quickly puts the car in drive and pulls out of the parking lot, leaving the other three boys to snicker quietly to themselves. The drive back was rather quiet, and mostly being filled with the silent laughs shared between Hyunjin and Felix whenever one shows something funny on their phone. Halfway to the house, Minho announces that his best friend, Woojin, would also be spending the night. He jokes that maybe the boys could have one big sleepover and watch movies the whole night, to which Hyunjin quickly agrees.

But, Felix thinks about the option for a second, trying to come up with a way to politely turn his brother down. If it was any other time, he would have agreed in a heartbeat, but he can't tonight. Because tonight, Felix has his own plans! (Though he shouldn't be out the whole night, and Hyunjin would most likely cover for him anyway).

Tonight, Felix agreed to meet Changbin at the park once again. Same place, same time.

He couldn't help but feel excited, the thought making fireworks burst inside his chest as he imagines what could happen tonight. The night before was the first time he had ever snuck out of the house, and though that's exhilarating in itself, meeting a new person on his own took everything up a notch. Plus, if things are able to go well tonight, maybe he and Changbin could continue hanging out together? Maybe Changbin could become Felix's friend!

Now, Felix has very, very few friends. The only people he really considers being his friends are Hyunjin and Woojin (though, Woojin is more of MInho's friend than his), and both of them were only introduced to him because of their families being close in the business world. So, for Felix to make a new friend on his own,—without being introduced through his connections or his family—is very exciting for him! And, Changbin seemed to be very nice as the conversation went on the night before, so he has very high hopes for this working out.

The car pulls into the garage, and the four boys get out quickly before walking inside the house. Felix and Hyunjin walk straight to Felix's room, going up the large flight of stairs and down the long hallway to reach it. When entering the room, Felix closes the door behind them, locking it to make sure no one else can hear what's going on. Hyunjin had already laid himself on the bed, playing on his phone and not paying any attention to what Felix was doing. So, Felix's walks to the other boy, and when he knows the boy isn't expecting it, he snatches the phone from Hyunjin's hand.

Hyunjin looked stunned for a split second, but his expression softened when he noticed the serious look resting on Felix's face. Confusedly, he says, "Felix? Is everything alright?"

Felix gulps, gently shaking his head before saying, "Hyunjin, I need you to do me a huge favor, alright? Can you do that for me?" Hyunjin nodded his head, and Felix sighs in relief. He continues with, "Okay, good. Now, this is really unlike me, I already know this. And, I already know you're probably going to freak out when I tell you, so please try to stay calm? Because really, it isn't that big of a deal, anyway! I just need you to cover for me so I can sneak out."

Hyunjin's eyes widened, "You're going to sn—"

Felix placed a hand out Hyunjin's mouth, silencing the boy before he has a chance to exclaim anything. Quickly, Felix says, "Hyunjin, you sneak out all the time! This shouldn't be any different! I'm going to be at the park and...I won't be alone, okay? There's nothing to even worry about! I'll be fine!"

Hyunjin moves Felix's hand and looks at the boy with worried eyes. He sighs, before saying, "Felix, it's not the sneaking out part I'm worried about, it's the sneaking out to _meet someone_! How do you know this person isn't planning to murder you, or something? Who even is this person you're sneaking out to meet? Are they a boy or a girl? Are they our age, or maybe older or younger? Are they—"

"His name is Changbin, alright? He's twenty years old, and he's really sweet. I met him at the park last night, and we just...hit it off, I guess? He is really nice to talk to, and he has a really good voice," Felix smiles to himself, "He's also got really warm eyes, and his smile is really pretty. Oh! And, when he laughs, his eyes barely scrunch up, and I swear it's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Hyunjin was staring at him blankly, and Felix hopes he isn't about to back out from helping him. He has already agreed, so he can't use back out now! Plus, if he isn't going to help, Felix won't be able to sneak out again! And if Felix can't sneak out, he isn't able to meet Changbin and spend hours talking to him. So, Felix is really hoping Hyunjin will agree, because the whole plan is resting on his answer. His eyes or no will decide if Felix has to stay home and be his normal, boring self, or if he gets to leave and explore his new and cool side!

Felix watches Hyunjin open his mouth, and he wishes for the answer to be a yes. Luckily, his wish comes true, "Felix, you're so lucky I love you. As long as you're sure this Changbin isn't going to kidnap you, and that you know he is a safe and friendly person to be around, I'll cover for you," Hyunjin shrugged, before adding with a smile, "This is only the repayment from the many times you covered for me when I sneak out, so be grateful!"

Felix smiled, his heart fluttering once again in excitement for his night plans. This is the most excited he has been in ages, and by the look on Hyunjin's face, he can tell the boy noticed this. But, to keep him from having to explain anything else, he throws Hyunjin a controller and picks the matching on up from himself, before saying, "I don't have to leave here until midnight, so that gives us five hours to do our own things. How do you feel about a few quick rounds of duos before I have to leave?"

Hyunjin smiles, grabbing the control and leaning back against Felix's pillows, "The dynamic duo strikes again! No one will know what hit them!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When Felix walks to the same spot from the night before, he notices Changbin was already there.

The boy was sitting with his hands resting on his knees, looking up at the sky with an expression Felix deems unreadable. Felix felt his expression soften, and for a quick moment, he simply looks at the other boy. But, Felix quickly realizes he looks like a fucking psychopath, so he begins walking over to the sitting boy.

As Felix walks to the other, he feels himself beginning to grow self-conscious. His heart started to pound, and he could feel the tension growing in his chest as he gets closer and closer. His hands begin to fiddle with the bottom of his shirt, and part of him began to wonder if this outfit was a good choice for him to wear. Should Felix have let Hyunjin style his outfit for the night? Hyunjin has such different style than Felix, and he is worried that this is too much for him to pull off.

Though, just as the thought enters Felix's head, the boy groans. Why is he acting like this over meeting a friend? No, scratch that, they aren't even friends yet! He shouldn't be getting this worked up over a simple hang out with an acquaintance since it really isn't a very big deal. He quietly sighs to himself, gulping down the last bit of his worries as he continues to walk in Changbin's direction. Though, as he gets closer to the other, Felix begins to feel himself grow calmer.

As he makes his last few steps, Changbin looks up to see him walking. The older boy smiles softly, and Felix feels his worries leave him immediately. He watches Changbin barely scoot over to give Felix room, and Felix smiles at his small gesture (even if they have the whole park to themselves, it's the thought that counts). Felix sits down beside the boy, mimicking his position and pulling his knees into his chest. He rests his chin over his knees, watching the city lights appear behind the big trees.

For a moment, the two boys sit in silence. It's nothing awkward, just a peaceful quietness that neither boy was ready to break. Felix was biting his lip gently, looking at the night sky as he let his mind start to wander. He felt so relaxed, and so much calmer than he was the night before. Unlike how he was then, Felix feels  _happy_  and not so anxious. He leans himself against his arms, and he feels Changbin's eyes looking at him, but he's too nervous to look back. So, Felix stares at the city view, and pretends like he doesn't notice.

Seconds go by, and he begins to think he got away with it. Then, he feels Changbin's pinky finger brush against his own, slowly interlocking the two digits. Sparks fly through Felix's body, sending a jolt of energy through his entire being. Felix has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling, but from the corner of his eye, he can see the smirk on Changbin's lips. Felix's face begins to heat up, and he wanted to scream at himself because  _oh my god, all they did was intertwine pinkies and it shouldn't be this big of a deal!_

He hears the quiet snicker coming from Changbin, before the boy says teasingly, "Your face is so red right now." 

Felix's eyes widened, and without thinking, he brings his hands up to cover his fiery cheeks. He can feel the blush deepening, hating how he is so easily embarrassed. But, he didn't have time to dwindle on his embarrassment, because the hands covering his face were being gently pulled off. Changbin slowly reveals Felix's face once again, and instead of dropping the hands, he simply holds onto them. Felix gulps, looking at Changbin and wondering what the boy will do next.

Changbin looks more nervous than before, and Felix can tell. Though, the elder boy tries to hide his nerves as he says, "You shouldn't hide from me, I won't tease you anymore! Honestly, I thought it was really cute." He paused, and after a few seconds go by, both boys realize what exactly Changbin said. With a small gulp, and a confident aura Felix wishes he had, Changbin adds, " _You're really cute_."

The younger boy hadn't expected to receive a compliment through the night. Honestly, he hadn't expected any of this to be happening. He was telling himself to say a quick, ' _thank you_ ,' so the conversation could move on, but Felix stopped himself. Maybe it was because he isn't used to receiving nice words like this, or maybe he just wanted to fill his own ego for a bit, but something in Felix made him wonder if what Changbin said is true. So, in a small voice, the boy mutters, "Really?"

Changbin smiles, shaking his head fondly, "Well, yeah. You're probably the cutest boy I've ever seen," the boy sighs dramatically, before adding, "But you probably hear that all the time, don't you?"

Slowly, Felix shakes his head. His heart was pounding so loudly that it sounded in his ears, and his bottom lip was pulled between his teeth to be nibbled on. This whole situation can't be real, he has to be imagining this right now. No one has ever treated Felix in this way, and for Changbin to give him compliment after compliment...Felix isn't sure how to take it. His looks have never been something he's fond of, and he is often told that they need improvement—his father repeatedly tells him little things to get fixed, and that when he's old enough, he will definitely be getting surgeries to fix them.

It's a very abnormal feeling for Felix, but he love it. With a small smile, he says, "You're the first person to compliment me in so long, I'm not really used to this," He locks eyes with Changbin, saying very genuinely, "Thank you, Changbin-ssi."

This sparks a new topic of interest for Changbin, and with brightened eyes, he asks, "Oh, before I forget, how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen, why?"

"Just wondering. But, now we know that you can start calling me Hyung, if you'd like," Changbin answers, and judging by the smile on the boy's face, Felix knows there's more on his mind. He waits to see if Changbin will come forth with the things he is thinking, but the boy never does. The two boys return to a small silence, and Felix starts to wonder about questions he could ask the older. All the questions he thinks of just weren't as good as he would like them to be, making him simply keep his mouth shut. Though, Changbin asks a question Felix hadn't been prepared for:

"Is this the right moment to ask for your number?"

Felix looks at him with a shocked expression, but it slowly forms into a shy smile. Changing was looking at him with his eyebrows raised, and the smirk from before was returning to cover his pretty lips. He was waiting on Felix to answer, and though Felix knows this probably isn't a good idea, something about Changbin is so charming that he can't bring himself to say no. With a newfound confidence, Felix answers, "I think you should've asked for it sooner."

Changbin fondly rolls his eyes, and Felix giggled to himself as he pulled out his cellphone. He opened up his contact app, opening a new contact as he watched the older doing the same. The two boys switch phone, beginning to fill in their information in the required blanks. They finish about the same time, switching back with satisfied smiles and sneaking little planes through the corners of their eyes. It was cute, and Felix hasn't felt this happy in weeks.

Though, his phone lights up with a new message from Hyunjin. Minho was wanting to start the movie night, and Hyunjin couldn't stall any longer. Felix sighed; he really didn't want the night to end, because it feels like he just got to the park seconds ago (though it had actually been almost two hours). He pushes himself off the grass, standing and placing his phone in his back pocket securely. He notices Changbin furrow his eyebrows in confused, so Felix quickly explains, "My best friend, Hyunjin, just texted me and said I need to start heading home."

Felix started to walk slowly, heading in the direction it takes to get back home, before Changbin's voice stops him, "Wait, Felix! Are you free sometime this week? Like, not at three in the morning?"

Felix turns back around, nodding his head, "I get out of dance at six every evening, why?"

Changbin smiles at him, "Great! Meet me here on Thursday at seven-thirty, because we're going out," Felix's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to begin to protest, but Changbin was already a step ahead. He quickly cuts off the boy before he has a chance to speak, "I'll see you on Thursday, Felix!" He winks, before turning around was walking off, leaving a stunned Felix standing and watching him go.

Felix stared at him for a while, trying to process everything that just happened in his mind. A few minutes pass, and when he finally has control over himself, a dazed smile grows onto his lips as he turns around happily. He starts lazily walking in the direction of his house, the thoughts of Changbin clouding his thoughts one by one until the boy was the only thing in his mind. A few giggles escaped from his lips, and Felix feels so above the moon. As Changbin runs through his mind, Felix begins to realize something he hadn't noticed before. Though, after the night now, it's all coming into play.

_Lee Felix has a crush._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again for reading this story! i hope you loved the new chapter, and chapter three will be coming very, very soon!
> 
>  
> 
> [graphics for the chapter!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLONNe4gWcQiifsh5m4ZuJjSfc_ywe5jlT6cRfJBN7Y/edit)
> 
>  
> 
> all my love ~lauren


	3. fly with my young wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm back, y'all.
> 
> my hiatus lasted much longer than i had expected, but it was so needed and so worth it. so as an apology for the long hiatus, here's 10.4 thousand words of soft changlix being cute on their date!
> 
> i really missed this fic, and i'm so happy with how this chapter turned out. i hope y'all love it as much as i do <3
> 
> now onto chapter three!!

 

 

 

♔

 

 

Felix hates social parties.

The only point of having them is for wealthy people to prove who's the wealthiest and to force their children to fall in love to gain a high social status. His father is always one to quickly agree whenever an invitation comes through the mail, because he  _loves_  being able to flaunt his luxurious clothing and accessories. Plus, he says this is a good experience for the boys to see what life would be like once one of them is chosen to be the future CEO. Their father makes these parties out to be huge events, but in reality, they're simply unneeded gatherings.

Felix, Hyunjin, Minho, and Woojin were all getting prepared for the party together. Felix was sitting in a chair inside Minho's large bathroom, letting his brother apply different products onto his face for him. Minho was adding concealer underneath Felix's eyes, which is definitely much-needed after the late night he had with Changbin. Felix tried not to flinch when Minho began blending the concealer into his skin, but this was always the part he hated when applying makeup.

"Stop moving so much," Minho starts, "You'll make yourself look cakey. Why are your under-eyes so dark, anyway? Have you not been sleeping well, Lix?" Minho asks, locking eyes with Felix briefly. Though the moment was short, Felix could tell that Minho was worrying about him ( _especially after Felix found out the excuse Hyunjin used the night before. a stomach bug? really, Hyunjin?_ ).

Felix sighs quietly, and as if it was on cue, let's out a yawn. He blinks a few times, before saying, "I never sleep well, Hyung. Some nights I get about five hours—the good nights—when others will only be about forty-five minutes. It really just depends on how stressed I am, I guess? I don't know, but I really wish I could get a full night's sleep; god, just thinking about it sounds like heaven!" Felix tried to end jokingly, but from the serious look on Minho's face, this was definitely not the right time.

Minho was staring at him with a stern look, and Felix knows that he's about to get scolded by his brother. "Felix, if you aren't getting sleep, you need to tell someone! That could affect your health in so many different ways, you know that, right?" Felix nodded his head, staring down at the palm of his hands. He listens as Minho sighs, before continuing much softer with, "I just want to make sure you're staying healthy and you're being the best person you can be. Now, look at me so I can make you look presentable, because right now...it needs some work." Minho giggled

Felix gasped, hitting Minho in the arm due to his comment. Minho simply giggles, setting the makeup with powder to keep it in place. He did the makeup for Felix's eyes quickly, knowing that they didn't have much time left to finish before having to leave for the banquet. So, he finishes Felix's makeup and leaves to go get dressed. Felix looks at himself in the mirror in awe, letting out the smallest little " _woah_ " at his appearance. He looked really pretty, Minho did such a great job.

Would Changbin think he's pretty too, if he could see him like this?

After a few seconds, Felix realizes the thing his mind just thought of. Why does his mind keep bringing everything back to Changbin? No matter what it is he's thinking about, it will always end up circling back to Changbin in the end, and Felix doesn't know how he should feel about it. Something about Changbin is so exhilarating, just being around the older makes Felix feel things he had never experienced before.  _And they have only met twice_!

Of course, they have been texting back and forth since last night, and each new message brings a big smile on Felix's face. It was like the world was on his side at this moment, because just as the thought comes into his head, his text-tone dings and the screen on his cellphone lights up on the counter. Curiously, Felix picks up the phone to see who could have been texting him, and as he had secretly been hoping, the new message had been from Changbin. So, with the cutest little smile resting on his lips, Felix reads the message.

**_Can't wait to see you tomorrow._ **

Oh...my god. Felix's heart fluttered at the message, and of course he wasn't going to get his hopes up about it, but  _fuck_. The text was so cute, how can he not react in a way like this? Plus, Changbin is obviously thinking about him too, since he was the person to text first! The thought excites Felix, and he almost forgets about the party he's supposed to be finishing getting ready for. He curses quietly, stripping off his pajamas and grabbing his suit to get dressed. He slipped on the black slacks first, then the white button-up next, and then grabs his black suit jacket and slips his arms through it, buttoning the little button in the middle of the jacket to keep it secure. He tied a white bow around his neck to finish off, running one of his hands through his hair before walking out.

Sitting on his bed was Hyunjin, dressed in an equally fancy suit and tie the laces of his dress shoes. Felix sits down beside the other, grabbing his own shoes and sliding them onto his feet. It was quiet for a moment, and Felix had been focused on tying the laces, until hearing Hyunjin say, "So, have you heard anything from your _lover-boy_  this evening, or is he leaving you in suspense until the date tomorrow?" Hyunjin was asking in such a flirty and playful voice, it was making a light blush appeared on Felix's freckled cheeks. And, of course, when Hyunjin notices Felix's pink face, it made the boy giggle loudly.

Felix was embarrassed. He shot a glare at Hyunjin, who only started to giggle even more. His voice went an octave higher than usual, and with a small whine, Felix says, "Stop calling him lover-boy! I already told you his name is  _Changbin_ , and I don't even think of him like that!" Hyunjin rolls his eyes at the comment, but Felix chooses to ignore it, "Plus, tomorrow isn't even a date! It's just two acquaintances hanging out and becoming better friends, alright? No romance, no couple-y relations, nothing!"

Hyunjin looked like he could have slapped Felix, and the other boy had no idea why. Hyunjin quickly replies with, "Felix, you said yourself that Changbin literally called tomorrow a date! Why would it not be a date when the other party is referring to it as one?" He paused, before adding even more excitedly, "Plus, you said Changbin told you that you were ' _the cutest boy he has ever seen!_ ' That's totally something just-a-friend would say, right?"

Felix frowned, "We compliment each other all the time, Hyunjinnie."

Hyunjin gave Felix a knowing look, "We're a different situation and you know it! I am your best friend-soulmate, yes, but Changbin is someone  _new_. He's a type of person that you've never been around before, because he seems to be different than the people we meet. But, most importantly, he's someone that is taking interest in you for _you_! Not because you're rich, or because you're a Lee, or because your friends with me—" Felix glared at him, causing Hyunjin to smile "—but because  _you're you_. You impressed him with your personality and good looks, and that's what he likes most about you!"

Felix smiled, feeling his heart doing summersaults in his chest as he thinks over the words Hyunjin said. Changbin actually likes him for him, and not because of his social status or family name. There's no way Changbin could have found out who Felix was just by the first name, because there has to be more than one boy named Felix in the country. So, from what Felix can assume, Changbin is really in this to be with  _him_ , because he likes  _him_  and not  _his money_. The thought to so very exciting to imagine, yet at the same time, it's insanely terrifying.

Felix has never been in a relationship. He's only had two crushes in his whole life! One was a pretty idol a few years back, and the other was a childhood crush he developed on Hyunjin (it quickly faded away, as they were both only five at the time). He hasn't even had his first kiss yet! God, how embarrassed he feels, being nineteen and not having kissed anymore before. Most people have their first kisses as young as twelve! But Felix? He still hasn't had a first kiss, nor a real relationship, and it makes him feel embarrassed.

He shakes the thought from his head, tightening the lace of his shoe before standing up. He and Hyunjin walked out of his bedroom, meeting the other two boys at the end of the hallway. All four boys were dressed in black suits, looking sharp from head to toe as they start walking to the front door. They walked down the staircase into the large living room, planning to meet Jeongguk at the garage to get the car. Though, they were met with both Jeongguk and Taehyung at the door, and from the looks of it, they were interrupting a very flirty conversation.

"Taehyungie, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Hyunjin asks, "Father said you weren't going to be security tonight, so I wasn't expecting to see you here!" He finishes, and Felix watches as Taehyung's big and boxy smile is shown once again. Jeongguk and Taehyung lock eyes for a brief moment, and it makes Felix want to rip his hair out because they are so damn oblivious! Anyone with eyes could see the two were in love with each other, so why would they need to hide it?

Taehyung turned back to Hyunjin, explaining to the boy, "I wasn't planning on working tonight, since I knew you would be safe considering the number of guards already going to this party. But, when I was on the phone with Jeongguk last night, he convinced me that I should come to keep him from standing in the corner awkwardly the whole night," the boys giggled, "I asked Boss if I could work instead of taking the night off, and he agreed! So, here I am."

Though Felix liked to think of himself and Jeongguk to be close, the two were nowhere near as close as Taehyung and Hyunjin.

Taehyung started working as Hyunjin's bodyguard when the boys were ten years old. Taehyung had just turned fifteen at the time, and much like the story of Jeongguk coming to work, Taehyung simply lied about his age so he could get the job. Mr. Hwang still has no idea of Taehyung's true age, thinking the boy is almost four years older than he truly is. But, at this point, it's much too late to make a correction, so Taehyung simply goes with it and plays along in front of his boss.

Hyunjin started to say something else, but was cut off when Jeongguk checks his watch to see the time. The older cursed, before saying hurriedly, "Fuck, we were supposed to leave ten minutes ago! Boys, get to the car now!"

As the four boys walk through the door to the garage, they hear Taehyung mutter quietly, ' _being fashionably late is always a good option, Gukk! Don't stress out too much, we got this!'_  which made Felix and Hyunjin fake gag at just how cute they were. The boy piled into the SUV—Minho and Woojin in the first row, whilst Felix and Hyunjin take the back row instead. Taehyung and Jeongguk climb in next, and Jeongguk quickly starts the car looking rather anxious. And just like that, the boys were off to the event.

As they began to travel, Felix feels the dread coming back into his chest at the thought of tonight. He really didn't want to go to this, and part of him regrets not faking an illness so he could stay home instead. But, it was too late for his regrets, because there was no turning back now. He was going to the party, and he would have to enjoy himself (even if he is going to pretend to do so).

Hyunjin could tell Felix wasn't acting like himself. So, in order to distract Felix from his nerves, he whispers something in a low voice that Felix could never turn down, "You know, I think you have a message that you haven't replied too yet." And when Felix looks at the boy questionably, Hyunjin's smirk explained it all. He was confused at first, but finally, it hit him with what he had been forgetting. With a small gasp, Felix remembered exactly what Hyunjin was talking about.

He forgot about Changbin's message.

Now normally, this wouldn't have been such big deal to Felix. He would have simply taken out his phone and replied calmly, as any normal person would. Maybe it was the added stress from the party, or maybe Felix was just excited to talk to the older boy, he couldn't really tell the difference. Whatever it is, Felix couldn't help but take out his phone with the biggest smile on his face, opening his messages and clicking on the only one that really mattered. He reads over the words once more, before trying to decide the right reply.

**_i can't wait to see you, as well! are you ever going to tell me what we're doing, or is it going to be a surprise?_ **

He tried to be subtle, he really did. When Hyunjin read the message from over Felix's shoulder, the boy began giggling at his lovestruck friend. Felix frowned, shoving him away and pocketing his phone to keep himself from any further embarrassment. Hyunjin looked at him in a way Felix couldn't describe, and Felix hated it. He especially hated it when Hyunjin whispers cockily, "Lix,  _you're so whipped!_ "

"Shut up, I'm not whipped!" Felix counters, his voice just as low as the other. He quickly added afterward, "We're just friends having a friendly conversation! There's nothing wrong with texting your friends, right? We text each other all the time!"

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, but before he was able to get his reply out, the car was pulling into a parking spot. Felix felt his nerves spike once more, but he quickly contained his emotions in order to make himself seem presentable. The four boys began to pile out of the car, leaving Jeongguk and Taehyung a few steps behind since they have to scope the scene from afar. Felix simply followed behind Woojin, who was leading the group in the front. Hyunjin was behind, and Minho was left in the back of the four.

Woojin moved to open the door, but one of the butlers beat him to the action. He quietly thanked the male, bowing slightly with a smile as he walked in. Felix followed Woojin's actions completely, mimicking exactly what the older did to make sure he was being polite. They continued down a long hallway, seeing two doors leading into a fancy room at the end of the hall. Felix gulped as the room came closer with each step, and for a moment, he let his mind clear completely. He stayed like this for a bit, until he walked through the doors and into the banquet hall.

From there, chaos seemed to erupt.

All eyes turned to look at the four boys, and whispers began to erupt through the people. Felix took a small breath, ignoring the whispers to keep his appearance both serious and happy, as he has practiced over the years. He felt Hyunjin nudging his arm lightly, getting Felix's attention. Felix was about to ask him what he needed, but when he looked up, he sees both of their fathers walking towards them with big smiles on their faces. The two teens looked at each other with nervous glances, before faking an excited appearance to greet the men.

"Minho, you look very handsome. Very sharp, I like it," says the deep voice of Lee Yichen, his hand patting Minho's shoulder before turning to Felix. Felix gulped down his nerves, and his father begins to speak to him next, "Felix, I'm pleasantly surprised by your attire. You look like a man, like an adult. It's very mature for you, but it's very nice. It's perfect for who you're about to meet," the man smirks, and Felix can see in the corner of his eye that Minho is sporting the same shocked expression as he.

"What do you mean, Father? Are we meeting a new CEO friend of yours?" asks Minho, his tone soft and polite. He was always so soft-spoken around the man, and Felix knew it was in fear of angering him.

His Father's smirk deepened, and he cockily turned to Hyunjin's father, "Well, Sooho, should we take the boys to meet our special guests now?" To which Hyunjin's father nodded his head, mimicking the same expression.

Felix felt his chest tighten, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl inside a hole and stay there until this was over. He could tell Hyunjin felt the same; the boy was biting his nails, which is only something he does when he's feeling anxious. Minho, on the other hand, looked rather confident as he walked behind the two men. Felix watched him in admiration, each step Minho walks makes him wonder if he'll ever be as confident as the older. When they stop at a table in the middle of the banquet, Felix and Minho lock eyes, and Minho gives him a small smile that makes some of his nerves feel more at ease.

When the two men step to the side, three girls are sitting at the table looking just as nervous as the boys. They looked rather beautiful, in Felix's opinion. Felix locked eyes with a girl who's hair was barely tinted in a deep maroon. She gave him a small smile, and to his own shock, it made his chest feel warm. Felix didn't listen to the words his father was saying, because he was too busy thinking about what connection the three girls could have to their father in order for them to be introduced; Yichen and Sooho have never introduced people without them having an important connection.

Then, it hit Felix on the reason why these girls are being introduced.  _Oh fuck_.

Felix is being set up with a girl.

He knew this would end up happening at some point, because his father was always very open about finding the right girls for his sons to marry. But now that it's actually happening, Felix doesn't even know how he should react. Of course, the three girls are beautiful and he should be feeling lucky that one of them even agreed to be paired with someone like him, but something keeps nagging at him making him realize just how bad of an idea this really is. How is he supposed to handle this?

Felix is  _gay_ , for god's sake!

"Minho, please meet Momo; Hyunjin, meet Heejin; and Felix, meet Sana!" His father looked so excited that Felix almost felt bad about the hesitant thoughts he's having. Though, when the two older then leave the six, they stare at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, until Minho was finally brave enough to make the first move. Hesitantly, he sits in the empty seat beside Momo, to which Hyunjin sits beside Heejin and Felix beside Sana. Again, the six sat in awkward silence, until Sana turn to Felix.

"How old are you, Felix-ssi? You look so young, it made me wonder," She giggles, and Felix smiles at the girl. She was obviously flirting with him, and it made him feel even more guilty for not being able to return those types of feelings.

Felix barely cleared his throat, "I'm nineteen—almost twenty soon! What about you?" Felix asked without thinking. Though, seconds later, he remembered a rule of etiquette his father taught him when he was younger, and blushes slightly at his mistake ( _"Felix, never ask a lady her age! It's incredibly rude!"_ ). Quickly, Felix added shyly, "S-Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to! I asked that without thinking, and I—"

"Don't be so nervous around me, Felix-ssi!" Sana smiles brightly at him, "I'm actually twenty-three. I didn't expect you to be so...youthful, I guess? From the things I was told about you, you seemed to be so much older!" She finishes, and Felix gently smiled at her.

He was about to speak once again, until feeling a vibration against his leg. Quietly, he pulled out his cell phone out of his pocket, clicking on the home button to view his new notification. Like he had been wishing, he had received a new message from none other than Changbin. With his heart fluttering and his stomach doing somersaults, Felix clicked on the notification to open the message. After a few seconds of loading, the message loaded onto his screen.

**_Have you ever been ice skating?_ **

Felix bites the inside of his cheek, and he tried to keep his excitement hidden, but it was hard! He's always been terrible at hiding his emotions, but maybe he could try harder this time? With a small smile, Felix types out his reply:

**_i have never been before, but i have always wanted to go!_ **

Within seconds, the reply bubble popped up onto his screen, and Felix was so overwhelmed with emotion. He realizes now that this is what's making him happy, and that nothing else has made him feel like this before. It's exhilarating, and with each second of suspense causing his heart to beat faster and faster. God, he's so whipped.

**_Good. See you tomorrow, babe._ **

Babe. Changbin called Felix babe.

Felix is too far gone.

 

 

♚

 

 

" _I can't believe you're going on a date with a billionaire!_ "

Changbin and Jisung were sitting on a bench a few feet from the back door of the next target. Jisung has been going on and on about the date for longer than he should. Changbin started to log him out at some point through the conversation, because he simply stopped caring enough to listen. Plus, why should Jisung be so shocked to see Changbin going on a date with someone like Felix? He's obviously handsome, so why should it be such a shock that Felix is taking interest in him?

"What, are you jealous that you didn't meet him first?" Changbin asks with a smirk, and Jisung rolls his eyes. Changbin shook his head with a small smile, leaning back against the bench cockily. He then adds, "Give me about three more times to hang with him and he'll be in love with me, just wait and see. I'm  _irresistible_." He finishes, and Jisung laughs at the joking tone Changbin finishes with. The two boys fell into a small silence, which gave Changbin time for his mind to run wild, letting him think on all the different things happening at once.

Though, the more he thinks about everything, the feeling of guilt grows deeper inside of his chest. He hates this feeling; the feeling of knowing he's in the wrong, yet his pride is too strong for him to admit it. He can't help but think about the situation with Felix, sighing to himself as he lets his thoughts linger. Why does he feel so bad for playing the boy? Even if the other's say Felix deserves it...does he really? Honestly, does anyone really deserve to be played the way Changbin is playing Felix? It isn't fair to treat someone in this way, and Changbin's conscience will never let go of this.

"Hey, Jisungie," Changbin starts, "Do you think this is a good idea?"

Jisung furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Of course it is! This is one of the biggest missions we've had so far!"

Changbin rolled his eyes with a sigh. Bitterly, he replies with, "Not the mission,  _dumbass_! I'm talking about the date with Felix, the whole plan that we discussed to steal everything from him, to break his heart...I feel so guilty. I know Chan-Hyung said that he deserves it, but he has never even spoken to Felix before!" Changbin paused, staring at the building emotionlessly as he continued with, "I might not know Felix very well yet, but he seems like a good kid. This whole plan is starting to make me really uncomfortable."

Changbin could feel Jisung's eyes watching him, and when he looked over, he notices the boy's bitter expression. Changbin knew he was about to get an earful, so with a sigh, he listens as Jisung begins his rant. "Hyung, you can't be serious right now! Do you not remember everything we talked about, all the things we discussed before? Felix is a Lee, Hyung, and we know how Chan feels about Lee Yichen. This idea is  _perfect_! How can you be having second thoughts now? What happened to us all moving abroad when this is over, having everything we could ever need?"

Changbin sighed as he thought about what Jisung was saying. He did want to have a future with the other boys, one where they wouldn't have to worry about anything. Plus, they haven't been able to make much money from stealing, because anything too drastic would make it an obvious theft—the most they could take at one time would be one thousand, and that's only when it's from a very large company. Though, there are some missions where the target isn't exactly money, but something else completely that could still be of value to the group.

The mission tonight is the perfect example. Instead of stealing money from the jewelry store, the boys will simply steal pieces of the merchandise to sell for their own goods. This always been a type of mission that Changbin loves, except as he stares ahead at the store, he feels himself looking off in nervous wonder.

Changbin hasn't been this nervous for a mission in ages, but he has a big reason to be nervous: this is Jisung's first mission. Jisung has been training to do this for months, but now that the time has come, the two boys are feeling more nervous than they could have imagined.  _Especially Jisung_. Changbin has never seen the boy so quiet, staring straight ahead with a frown resting on his lips. It was kind of strange to see, because Changbin has grown so used to the boy being loud and bubbly that seeing him so scared and silent is almost like he's a different person.

"You shouldn't be nervous for the mission," Changbin speaks gently, looking over to the younger. Jisung was staring at him with widened eyes, and in his mind, he was going over all the ways Changbin could have figured out something was wrong. Though, the older gave him a look that screamed ' _I know everything_!' After a few seconds, Changbin began to follow up his words with, "You've trained for this, Jisungie, don't get nervous on me now! How many times have I told you how good you are? After all the time we've been together, how many times do you think I have said it?"

Jisung shrugged his shoulders, looking towards the ground with a frown, "I don't know, Hyung, it's a lot. What if I mess up and cost us everything? What if we get sent to  _jail_  because of me? I could ruin everything we have gotten, which is why I don't think I'm ready for this yet!"

Changbin scoffed, "Jisung, you can't think like that. Honestly, you are way better than I was when I first started, but you have to believe that in order for you not to mess up." Changbin sighed, and though he probably shouldn't have told the younger this, the words slipped out anyway, "I'm not going to lie to you, there is going to be a moment where you mess up. It might be tonight, it might be years from now, but somewhere along the lines you'll make the wrong move and the mission will fail.

"But when that happens, you just have to shake it off and keep going, alright? Don't let it get to you, because with the things we do, we can't let things bother us." Changbin looked, and Jisung was watching him with such admiration, it made his chest feel warm. It was like the younger boy was taking Changbin's words to heart, and that made Changbin feel so wise. Honestly, having someone train under him as Jisung made Changbin feel like he was some sort of fucked up leader in a fucked up line of business.

It was all very fucked up, to say the least.

Changbin could have dwelled on this thought for hours, but his mind was interrupted at the sound of his earpiece connecting. He can tell from the corner of his eye that Jisung hears his earpiece connect, as well, and the sight makes everything seems so much more real than before. It wasn't long until Chan's voice was heard through the piece, speaking into both of the boy's ears proudly, " _SpearB, J.ONE, do you copy?_ "

"We're here, Hyung. Do you have everything set up for us to enter inside?" Changbin asks, and he watches Jisung bite his lip nervously.

" _I have already disabled the cameras and connected the footage from last night to be shown in the security room. Though, from what I can see, the guards are fast asleep and probably won't wake up until you two are out of there_ ," he pauses, before adding softly, " _Do you hear that, Jisungie? This mission should be a piece of cake, and nothing for you to worry about! You two will be in and out in no time, and the five of us can use the jewelry to get money! We'll be loaded!_ "

Jisung and Changbin locked eyes, and like the older knew would happen, Jisung was panicking. Of course he was, and Changbin couldn't blame him for it; the first mission is always the scariest, and for Jisung to be nervous is expected. But, he can't be nervous once the mission really starts, because that's how mistakes get made.  _Changbin had to learn that the hard way._

Changbin stands from the park bench, casually pulling up his black face-mask and pulling his black hood over his head. He nods towards the younger, who quickly stands from his seat and follows the elder's lead. Changbin watched Jisung pull his face-mask over his mouth and nose, running a hand through his messy brown hair and letting it fall loosely over his forehead. Changbin starts to walk towards the back door, and since it's the wee hours of the morning, he doesn't have to worry about being spotted.

He pauses at the door—with Jisung hot on his heels—and waits for Chan to give him the signal. He can hear the clicking from his earpiece, and Changbin can imagine how the other there boys are having away on their laptops to ensure nothing goes wrong. Though, it takes longer than Changbin and Jisung expected, especially when Changbin noticed Jisung biting on his nails (something Jisung has always done whenever he gets anxious). Though, the two boys were cut from their thoughts when an excited voice his sounded through their earpieces.

" _I just unlocked the door for you guys! Sorry for the holdup, the number combination for this door is from 1983, so I had taken a few seconds to remember how the coding was back then_ ," speaks Jeongin, and Changbin couldn't help the small smile appear on his face. He was proud of Jeongin for finally getting to help with the missions; he always knew Jeongin was a great hacker, he just needed a little more practice. Though, he and Jisung giggled silently when Jeongin says in the background, " _I told you I could do it, Hyung! You should have more faith in me!_ "

" _I always knew you could, IN_ ," Chan says. He clears his throat softly, before telling the other boys, " _Now, remember that you have to keep this subtle. SpearB, make sure that you're careful with the pieces of jewelry, because any slight damages could mess up the value of the pieces. J.ONE, you are in charge of placing the fake jewelry after Changbin gets the real—also, please make sure that Changbin grabs the pieces that match with the fake ones, it would be really bad if he grabs the wrong thing. All in all, this should be a fairly simple mission. Be smart and don't make rookie mistakes._ "

"Got it," mumbles Changbin, gently turning the doorknob. The door opened slowly, and with a small breath, Changbin enters the dark room. He holds the door open enough for Jisung to enter behind himself, and when the boy is inside, Changbin gently lets the door close behind them.

Just like that, the mission had started.

Changbin has the layout of the jewelers memorized, so he begins to lead Jisung to the main room. He takes him down a long hallway, and though it was quite difficult to navigate the way through the darkness, Changbin focuses on finding the right door. It was a few more seconds of blind searching, until Seungmin comes back through the earpiece to say, " _The door is about three paces ahead of you, on your left. You two can thank me later_."

Just like Seungmin had said, Changbin took three steps forward and felt the wall to his left until his hand reached the doorknob. With a sigh of relief, Changbin opens the door to the main room and quickly leads Jisung inside. His eyes were trying to adjust to the darkness, but it was much easier to see in the main room than the dark hallway.

The main floor of the jewelry store had large, wide windows covering the front wall o the store. As the night sky was shining brightly with the moon, a small glow of the moonlight was cascading through the windows to illuminate the store. Changbin admired it for a few seconds, just simply taking in her surrounds for a brief moment. That is, until he caught himself acting like this is his first mission. He was acting like a true rookie, and he needed to get his mindset back on the task at hand. With this thought, SpearB quickly takes back over.

He reaches inside the small bag sitting around his waist and pulls out the first fake piece of jewelry. Changbin hands this to Jisung, letting the boy look over the item for a while before they begin searching around the store to find it. Changbin looks through all the items sitting inside the glass, eyes scanning over the expensive price tags that hang off each one. Holy shit. How can people actually afford things like this without going completely bankrupt? For just a tiny diamond earring, the price is  _twenty-three thousand dollars_! How could someone ever pay that much?

Changbin didn't mean to think of Felix, especially not in this context. But, his mind went directly to the boy that can have anything he wants. He felt guilty over his own thoughts, but it didn't last long before the daydreams started. He can imagine the boy wearing one of these in his ear; it's dainty and delicate, yet still full of so much worth and value. Just like Felix. God, Changbin doesn't know why he's enjoying the thought of the younger so much, but he can't go long without returning to the subject. It's like Felix has a new control over him that he has never felt before.

"Hyung! I found the earrings! Jisung exclaimed, dragging Changbin out of his trance and back to the reality of the situation. He moves across the room to where Jisung was standing, seeing the boy pointing at the item which looks insanely similar to the fake in Changbin's hand. He places the fake on top of the glass, and just like Jisung had said, the two are exactly the same (other than the fact that one set was bought for four dollars and the other is being sold for twenty-five thousand. it's only a slight difference.)

Changbin praised the boy, "Nice work, J.ONE! Now, I need you to pick the lock for me so I can remove the earrings, alright?" Jisung quickly nodded, crouching behind the glass and taking out a small bobby-pin, sticking it inside the lock and maneuvering it around. Changing watched him work for a few seconds until hearing a small 'click'. Then, with a little smirk, Jisung is sliding the glass door open. Changbin shakes his head with a small smile, before going completely serious as the task at hand is probably the most important.

Carefully, Changing slides his hands through the open spaces, gently grabbing onto the holder the earrings were placed—alongside a necklace and bracelet that seem to match. He slowly sits the holder on top of the glass case, facing him and Jisung to make it easier for them to do their work. Changbin hands the fake jewelry to Jisung, who takes the piece with a small gulp as he waits for Changbin to do the beginning of the task.

Changbin takes out the other two fakes the boys are supposed to be finding, giving himself space inside his little bag. Then, with very gentle motions, Changbin slides the earring out of the holder and drops them inside of the bag. He lets out a sigh of relief, watching as Jisung places the faux set in its place. The two boys then look to the faux necklace and bracelet laying on the counter, before a small realization hits both of them. Jisung says the exact thing Changbin is thinking, "Hyung, are these all part of the same matching set?"

"I think they are, J.ONE," answers Changbin, who then holds up the faux pieces next to the real ones in comparison. With a little, 'huh', Changbin says, "They're an exact match! Here, let's switch them out real quick so we can get the fuck home."

Changbin unlatches the necklace from the holder, carefully setting it inside the bag before reaching for the bracelet. He watches as Jisung replaces the necklace with the much-cheaper-yet-very-realistic version with steady hands, latching the back of it and letting it hang down like the other was before. Changbin slides the bracelet off the holder and places it inside the bag, before zipping the bag to secure the jewelry inside. Jisung quickly slides the new bracelet in its place, and though Changbin isn't an expert on jewelry, he can't tell a difference between the two bracelets at all!

With that, the two boys quickly place the items back inside the glass case in the exact positions they were before, just to make sure it isn't noticeable. When they finished this, Jisung quickly shuts the door to the case, making sure it's locked before looking towards Changbin for the next move. Quickly, Changbin grabs the other by the wrist and rushes them towards the back-door, hurrying out and shutting it behind. From there, the two boys rush down the dark hallway, reaching the exit door on the end with little breaths of tiredness and nerves.

Changbin steps outside, yanking Jisung with him before shutting the door. The boys lean against the back wall, taking in gasps of the cold air one after the other. Changbin taps his earpiece, before saying breathlessly, "CB, you still there?"

" _I'm still here! Did you finish the mission?_ " asks Chan, his voiced laced with both worry and excitement.

Jisung speaks next, and Changbin can hear the smile on his face, "We cupcaked!"

Panic quickly ensues between the others. Changbin couldn't help but giggle when hearing the gasps coming from the other side, before the worried voice of Chan says, " _What do you mean you cupcaked!? Is SpearB alright? Where was he shot at?_ "

Changbin quickly saves Jisung from confusion by saying, "What J.ONE meant to say was, we ice creamed! Everything went smoothly and J.ONE had a great first mission, he just needs to memorize his code-names better," Jisung's face flushed, "We'll see you at home in a bit!"

And with that, the line disconnects. Changbin looks and Jisung, and the boy was obviously embarrassed over his mistake, but Changbin simply brushes it off. "C'mon, Jisungie, let's get home."

 

 

  
♔

 

 

Felix felt nervous.

Scratch that, he was more than just nervous. His heart was pounding and his palms were getting clammier with each step he takes. He cringed at himself, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans with a look of disgust. Felix has never felt this feeling before, and he doesn't even know what it is!

"Snap out of it, Felix," the boy whispers to himself quietly, "This is just two friends going ice skating, you have nothing to worry about—"  _except that Changbin is the most beautiful person he has ever seen in his entire life, and that he continuously refers to this as a date_  "—just stay calm and act cool, like Minho-Hyung! Or, actually, don't act like Minho-Hyung, you should be yourself, because that's what Changbin likes about you! Also, don't accidentally give away that you're a Lee, because then Changbin will treat you differently, and you don't want Changbin to treat you any differ—"

"Mommy, who is that boy talking to?" A little girl says loudly, pointing her tiny finger towards Felix. The boy blushed, realizing that he sounded like a literal psychopath before quickly hurrying down the sidewalk to get to the meeting spot. He still had a bit of a walk left, and there was still about five minutes before Felix was set to meet Changbin, so the boy slowed his pace back down once again and let his mind wander back to his pre-date checklist that he and Hyunjin made up before he left.

First, of course, he cannot tell about his riches. He can't risk what could happen once Changbin finds out, but this could turn into something beautiful without the help of Felix's wealth! As long as Changbin likes him without the money benefits, Felix knows he really likes him for him. It doesn't help that Felix grew up learning about people called  _gold diggers_ , who apparently only date people for their money and not because they actually like them. This leaves Felix always nervous that the person he falls in love with only wants him for his money.

Secondly, Felix must act like himself. He can't be too nervous, because that makes him come off very timid and shy, and Felix is neither of those things. He should be his quirky, awkward, adorable self.

Felix wasn't even able to get out his last thought, because the sight in front of him left him feeling starstruck. There was Changbin, standing at the same place the boys met only days before. Felix felt his heart-rate skyrocket at just the sight of the other, because Changbin is absolutely gorgeous without even trying! His dark hair was laying softly against his forehead, and his long, grey coat was hanging loosely over his body. His hands were sitting inside the pockets of the jacket, and from what Felix could tell, Changbin seemed to be just as nervous as he.

Felix took a small intake of breath, and let it out slowly. He started to make his way over to Changbin slowly, the pounding of his heart growing louder with each step he takes. Changbin hasn't noticed him yet, and thank god for that; the moment his eyes meet the warm brown orbs of Changbin, Felix knows he will melt on the spot. He drags his lip between his teeth, gently nibbling on the flesh as he gets closer and closer to the other boy in a nervous state of euphoria.

And with that thought leaving his head, Changbin notices his present, and Felix watches the large smiling growing across the older's lips.

Felix feels his own smile start growing, and suddenly he and Changbin are the only people in the world. Changbin is in front of him in seconds, and Felix feels like his heart is going to explode from the way it's pounding inside. It's beating a million beats per minute, ringing in his ears and pulsing throughout his whole body. Is this what having a crush feels like? The feeling of his stomach fluttering, his heart burning, and he is unable to contain a smile? Because Felix both hates and loves this new feeling.

Changbin starts talking to him, his voice rough and deep yet showing signs of softness in his tone, "I see we both decided to get here early," he started with a bashful smile, "You look good, Lix. Really, really good."

That was all it took to make Felix's face start burning. He mutters out an acceptance, biting his bottom lip to contain himself, but letting his excitement cloud his thoughts. Changbin thinks he looks good tonight, and he had already been declaring how cute he finds Felix the last time they were together! Plus, Felix noticed the little name Changbin said throughout the sentence, and it made his heart begin to swell:  _Lix._

Felix gulped, and trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, he says, "O-oh, um, you look good too!"

He blew it. Felix bites against his lip, embarrassed because he sounded so nervous—which, honestly isn't a stretch since he's really nervous—when he had been hoping to sound cool. He let his eyes meet Changbin's once again, and he was so scared that the other would be making fun of him for his nervousness, but was met with warm and kind eyes instead. Immediately, all of his nerves from before washed away, leaving Felix feeling...weirdly calm, but he isn't going to question it; he would much rather feel calm than nervous.

There's really nothing for him to worry about, right?

Changbin gently takes his hand, beginning to lead the boy in a direction Felix has never gone to before. Felix tried not to focus on how Changbin and he are basically holding hands, or the fact that he could so easily intertwine their fingers together and domestically swing their arms back and forth like in the movies—

"The ice skating rink isn't very far from here," Changbin begins, glancing at the younger boy quickly before moving his eyes back to the front, "It's actually apart of the park, so it's just passed the playground and then to the left."

Felix nodded along with the words, seeing as though they had already made it to the playground. There were children all around, playing on the swings, the slide, and the monkey bars. Felix smiled to himself, remembering when his mother would take him and Minho to the park when he was that little. Those were always his favorite days, because it was some of the few times Felix got to feel like a normal kid.

They make the left turn, and in the distance Felix sees the outline of the rink. He feels excitement bubbling in his chest, and he guesses it was obvious on his face too, because Changbin says with a smile, "You look like a puppy that's about to get a treat, oh my god. You're so cute," he finishes, and he doesn't even have to try anymore, because Felix automatically swoons at whatever the boy has to say. Plus, it always makes his heart rate speed when Changbin called him cute; something about it makes Felix fall deeper and deeper.

Felix smiled brightly, replying with, "I can't help it! I have always wanted to go ice-skating, but I was never allowed to go when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I never really found the right time to come, and I wouldn't have had anyone to come with me," He turns to the older boy, saying to him, "Thank you for inviting me, like, you have no idea how much I have wanted to do this. Plus, what makes it even better is that I'm spending time with you!"

Felix was supposed to keep the last line inside his head, but quickly realizes the words slipped past his lips by mistake. Changbin didn't seem to mind, though, as he fondly shakes his head and drags Felix through the last little stretch of walking. The rest of the walk was in peaceful silence, and neither boy seemed willing to break it. Felix simply kept his thoughts to himself, so much that he almost didn't notice their arrival.

When Felix looks up from the pavement, he sees the entrance to the ice-skating rink right in front of him. Just like that, the excitement starts growing once more, and he does the smallest bounces over and over like a little puppy. Changbin notices, yet decided not to say anything about it, shaking his head as he silently giggles. Felix is lead to the renting booth next, and the two boys start waiting in line to get their skates. Though the line seemed rather long at first, luckily it went by much faster than they had been expecting.

Felix pulls his black  _Louis Vuitton_  wallet from the pocket of his jeans, readying his money for when it's his turn to rent. He and Changbin were next in line, and as the woman in the front steps away, Changbin quickly steps forward before Felix has a chance. Felix was confused for a moment, but shrugged it off nonetheless.

A few seconds later, Changbin leans towards Felix to ask the boy, "What's your shoe size, Lix?" to which Felix naturally answered with his shoe size. After a few seconds, when the lady hands Changbin two pairs of skates instead of one, it finally clicks to the younger boy;  _Changbin paid for their skating._

Now, Felix hadn't been expecting to pay for the date, nor did he expect for Changbin to pay for everything. Honestly, he had expected for both of them to simply pay for themselves, which would make it seem less like a date but still enjoyable nonetheless. Changbin really does like to surprise the younger, and Felix can't help but smile when Changbin leads him to an empty bench so they could change their shoes.

Changbin laced his skates quickly, and Felix tried to copy what the older was doing, but he was moving much too faster for the boy to keep up. With a small sigh, Felix tried to figure out the way there were supposed to go, but it seemed too complicated! This is embarrassing, he can't figure out how to tie his shoe, Changbin is going to laugh at him and think he's stupid and never want to be seen with him ever again! Though, Changbin seemed to be full of surprise on this night, because he shocked Felix once again.

The older boy must have noticed how the younger was struggling, and with a small smile sitting on his lips, he moves from his seat on the bench into a squat on the ground. Felix blushed as the older started tying his skates for him (!!!!!!), definitely not expecting the act of kindness from Changbin.

If he is trying to make Felix fall for him, it's beginning to work.

Just like that, the two are ready to hit the ice. When Felix stands from the chair, he can immediately feel how everything is different. He's always had good balance due to dancing, but the skates are completely throwing his body off. It's a strange feeling, but it's nothing he can't adjust to!

"You know, you didn't have to pay for my ticket and skates," Felix says randomly as the thought enters his head.

Changbin looks back at him, stepping onto the rink with the sly grin. He simply shrugged at the boy, the grin turning to a smirk as he says, "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Plus, I invited you on the date, so it's basically my rule as a gentleman to pay,"—there's that word again:  _date_ —"Now, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be teaching you how to ice-skate right now, so get out here so we can get the fun part started!"

Felix smiled gently, taking the elder's hand and very cautiously stepping onto the ice. Immediately, Felix's feet start sliding from beneath him making the taller let out the smallest of yelps. Subconsciously, Felix grabs around Changbin's bicep for both fear and support until he isn't about to fall and break every bone in his body. They stay like this for a moment as Felix catches the breath he didn't know he had lost, before he hears a little giggle coming from the shorter boy.

Changbin simply shook his head, skating around so he was in front of the younger boy. He takes the boy's hands in his, and the two lock eyes for a moment. Then, Changbin explains to him, "Just watch what I'm doing, okay? You just have to push your feet outwards, and soon you'll get the hang of it! Just try to follow how I move my feet, and you'll be fine!"

With that, Changbin starts his skating. He was skating himself backward, and since he was holding the taller boy's hands, Felix started moving as well. Felix watches the way Changbin moved, watching the way his feet pushed the ice instead of riding across, watched the way he angled the blades of the skate as he moved, just simply observed the boy over and over. Finally, when Felix musters up enough courage, he begins to move his feet in a similar way as Changbin moves his. He pushed his feet out with each movement, and he feels himself getting more confident by the second.

After a few minutes, Changbin moves from in front of Felix to Felix's left side, continuing to hold onto the taller's hand. Though, Felix can feel the boy take it a step further, as he intertwines their fingers together. Felix gulped, looking from their hands to Changbin's face to all the people around them on the rink. He sees the people looking at them, scowling at them, glaring at them, whispering about them, and each person makes Felix feel panicked as he squeezes the life out of Changbin's hand.

But Changbin is so much different than him. While Felix hates the ridiculing looks he's receiving from the people, Changbin finds pride in the attention. Felix doesn't know how Changbin can act so cool and chill with everything, and part of him wishes he was like Changbin so he wouldn't be so worried.

Changbin gets closer to the boy, leaning into the younger's cheek. Felix can feel his breath hitting his face, and he can barely hear Changbin's low voice over the sound of all the loud people, "Ignore them, Felix. They are just jealous that we can find happiness with each other while they have to keep living their horrible, judgmental, and  _heterosexual_  lives," Changbin moves away from his with a cheeky smile, laughing at Felix's shocked expression. He lets go of the other's hand, saying loudly as he starts to skate away, "Now hurry up, slow poke!"

Felix grins to himself, picking up his pace in order to catch up to the older boy. He grabs Changbin's hand once again, and like this, the two boys spend their hour. They skate, they laugh, they fall (well, Felix's falls, but he drags Changbin down with him), and they begin finding themselves having more fun than either imagined.

When their hour is finished and the two boys return their skates, the beginning walking along the sidewalk, swinging their held hands back and forth like lovers. At this moment, everything feels perfect, and Felix finds himself drowning in feelings he never knew he had. Changbin has shown him different parts of himself that were hidden deep down, and Felix will forever be grateful for the older boy.

At the end of the sidewalk is an ice-cream vendor, and Felix feels himself getting excited once again. He gently tugs against the other's arm, grabbing his attention. Felix nodded in the direction of the ice-cream vendor, asking Changbin sweetly, "Hyung, can we get ice-cream?"

Changbin playfully rolls his eyes, teasing the younger boy by saying, "You just told me that you were freezing, how can you want something that would make you even colder!? The word  _ice_  is literally in the name  _ice-cream_!" He exclaimed, and Felix's laugh is like a beautiful song hitting the older's ears.

Felix paused for a second, and he can see the confused look sitting on Changbin's face. So, he quickly says to the other, "Hyung, can I see you jacket for a second?" He watches the way Changbin's eyebrows furrowed, slowly taking off his jacket and revealing his black sweatshirt from underneath. He hands the jacket to Felix, so puts the clothing piece on whilst trying to hide his smile. He fixes the jacket the way he likes it, before looking to the other and saying, "There, now I'm not cold anymore, so we can get ice-cream!"

It took a few seconds before Changbin gets it, and Felix laughs as the boy rolls his eyes, muttering words about Felix under his breath. Felix leads them to the ice-cream vendor, smiling happily as he does so. The two boys order their ice-cream (Felix gets brownie-batter, Changbin gets vanilla), and Changbin pays once again, though Felix argued against it. Changbin leads them into the park, the place rather empty as the dark night gets later and later. As Changbin sits down, Felix realizes they are at  _their spot_ , and he smiles.

The boys sit quietly for a while, enjoying both the ice-cream cones and the peaceful silencing building between the two. It feels perfect, way too good to be true in Felix's eyes. He wanted to stay in this moment forever; no worries in the world, and simply enjoying himself with Changbin. The swelling in his chest is something he has never felt before, and Felix falls in love with the way his heart bursts with affection.

"This was your first date, wasn't it?" Changbin asks softly, breaking the silence and gathering Felix's attention once again.

Felix's cheeks turn the lightest shade of pink, and he answers with a bashful tone, "Is it that noticeable?"

Changbin smiles shaking his head, "You have an innocence about you, one that someone who has dated around wouldn't have. It's cute, and it suits you really well. I would notice how nervous you would become at certain times, whenever I would get close to you, or whisper something in your ear, or squeeze your hand when it's in mine," Felix's face is on fire, yet that seems to only make Changbin go a step further than before, "If I had to guess, you've probably kissed maybe two people in your life, right?"

Felix's heart is thumping in his chest, ringing in his ears, pulsing through his veins and he can't help but think this is it. This is going to be the night I have my first kiss. But, slowly, he shakes his head in reply to what Changbin asked, saying nervously to the older boy, "G-Guess again," and he hated the way his voice comes out as a low whisper. Changbin, on the other hand, loved it.

Changbin thought for a second, looking the boy up and down before making his second guess, "Is it three people, maybe? Three people you've kissed before?"

Again, Felix shakes head with a small gulp. He swallows down his fears, he swallows his pride, and he swallows all the worries he had throughout the night. His eyes dart around Changbin's face, stopping at his eyes and saying to the boy in a hushed tone, "That isn't right, either. You're bad at this game, Binnie-Hyung."

Changbin thinks longer this time, before answering with, "One person?"

Felix shakes his head.

"Four?"

He shakes his head again.

"Five people?"

Another shake of the head.

"Twenty-seven?"

" _Oh my god, no!_ "

It was then that Changbin finally understood what was happening. He smirks, and Felix can feel the nervousness crawling up his spine, taking over his body inch by inch as Changbin's eyes dart from Felix's lips to his eyes and back down to the lips. Changbin licks over his own lips, his smirk growing as he says, "Have you never been kissed, Lix?"

Felix gulped, shaking his head once again. His mouth feels dry and he wants the world to open up and swallow him so he can escape the eyes of the older.

Changbin is smiling now, a cocky smile that Felix wants to remember forever. He moves closer, leans in until their lips are only inches apart, and Felix is frozen in his spot as he waits to see what the boy will do next. The smirk returns, and in a flirty whisper, Changbin asks, "Do you want me to be your first kiss, Baby?"

 _Baby_ , that one is new. Felix knows words are something he won't be able to form right now, and though he was more nervous than ever before, he nodded his head. Changbin must have taken this as his green light, because the boy is slowly starting to move closer and closer until the inches turn into centimeters and the centimeters turn into millimeters and Changbin is so close Felix can feel his breath hitting his face, can feel the presence of his lips so close to his that if Felix puckered his mouth they would be touching.

It was there when Changbin stops, holding onto Felix's cheek with his hand as he whispers deviously, "Sorry, Love, but I've never been one to kiss on the first date."

He backs away, removing his hand and gently placing his lips to the center of Felix's cheek. The place on his face burns, and Felix can't help but swoon over the chapped feeling and the shape of Changbin's lips against his cheek and  _Changbin Changbin Changbin Changbin_.

"I'll see you around, Felix," Changbin smirks, before standing from the grass, brushing off the back of his pants, and walking away from the stunned boy.

Felix's hand moves up to his cheek, gently touching against the spot Changbin kissed as his heart starts to swell. He feels like he's going to explode with these emotions, and the only thing he can think about is when he gets to see Changbin again and how those lips are going to feel pressed his own.

Felix is like a mouse, and he's falling right into the trap.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope all of you loved this, and if you did, please give me a kudos and a comment! it was mean the absolute world to me!
> 
>  
> 
> [graphics for the chapter!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q7w7UijGdmdhWjNL5wtiXcDK1T_d3jx0r7z8j9UnW-M/edit?usp=sharing)
> 
>  
> 
> thanks again for reading! all my love ~ lauren


	4. does it make you feel alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHAPTER SO FAR. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE MY FAVORITE CHAPTER FOR THE ENTIRE STORY. PLEASE PLEASE ENJOY IT!
> 
> i put my heart and soul into his update, and even through the many many many many cases of writers block i had during this, it came out so much better than i had expected! i really hope y'all enjoy it as much as i do!!!
> 
> now, onto chapter four!

  
  
  
  
  
  
♚  
  
  
  


Changbin gets home at half-passed ten.

The flat was dark from the outside, and part of him wondered why everyone was being so quiet this early in the evening; usually, the boys stayed up way passed this time. He simply shrugged his shoulders, taking out his key and unlocking the front door of the flat. He swings the door open happily, sliding off his shoes and laying them down beside the door. 

He was still feeling buzzed from his date with Felix. Changbin hadn't expected this date to go so well, and he definitely wasn't expecting  _himself_  to enjoy it. Now that it has happened, Changbin would have to be crazy to admit he didn't feel anything towards the younger boy. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling yet, but it was something new and addicting. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and he couldn't keep his excitement contained within himself. It's like everything has been electrified, in a way.

Felix is already driving him wild, and Changbin loves it.

He moves from the door into the kitchen, grabbing a Coca-Cola can from the fridge and opening the little tab. He takes a sip of the drink, setting it down on the counter and pulling his phone out of his pocket. Changbin checks the device for notifications, seeing a new text message popping up on his screen. He clicks the notification curiously, letting his phone open the app and pull up the stream of messages across his screen. Like he had secretly been hoping, the new message was from the boy that already consumes his thoughts: Lee Felix.

**_i had so much fun tonight!! thank you for taking me and teaching me how to skate :)_ **

Changbin smiled to himself as he read the message over and over in his head, hearing it in Felix's voice which makes him smile even more. God, why did Felix have to be so cute? If he would have been a narcissist like most rich kids, Changbin wouldn't be feeling so guilty about the plan he's following. But his luck wouldn't let him have a snobby rich boy, no, he was stuck having to hurt the purist soul in the whole world. The first few minutes of ice skating made Changbin realize just how precious Felix really is, and now everything is so complicated.

Changbin really doesn't like complicated.

As he sips his soda, Changbin starts to wonder of ways he could get out of this deal. He knows it would be a long shot to convince the other's to call off the plan, but Changbin physically cannot hurt the other boy; just the thought of ruining Felix's life like they were planning is making him feel sick. There were many excuses he could make to try and get out of it, but he knows all of them would end up falling through in the end. There has to be some way he can call off the plan and just simply hang out with Felix because he  _wants_  to and not because he _has_  to!

**_I had fun as well._ **

Short and sweet, just like Changbin. Changbin didn't want to come off too strong so early in the game—though he believes Felix wouldn't have minded his extra sweet nature—and simply settles for a boring, bland, and almost cold-hearted. There was so much more Changbin could have said, but the boy chose to keep his cool exterior and save his soft side for when things get farther along. Well, if things get the chance to go farther along, that is.

Luckily, it seemed Felix was completely oblivious to how cold Changbin's message was. Or, he could have noticed the cool-tone and simply ignored it to keep a conversation going between he and Changbin. Whichever it was, the boy couldn't help but smile when reading Felix's sweet messages—even though they make Changbin cringe in the slightest, it's still very cute.

**_i hope we can see each other again soon. will you be at the park tomorrow night?_ **

Changbin clicked his phone off and put it in his pocket as he walked into the empty living room. He can't answer the younger back just yet, he has to make him wait and cause the little bit of excitement for when he does reply. Plus, it would ruin his dark facade if he would have immediately sent the message, because it's  _so uncool_ to answer quickly. Or, at least, that's what Jisung and Seungmin told him.

The television was playing a drama Changbin had never heard of, and as he sits in the dark room alone with his thoughts, the guilt starts to eat him alive. He has to get out of this deal, no matter how angry it will make the others. Changbin has realized that he physically can't hurt the younger; from the night Felix told him his problems, Changbin has realized the boy in like a diamond in the rough. Felix is beautiful, like a diamond, but is dealing with so much shit behind the surface that he won't let anyone know about. 

Changbin noticed one of the boys on the tv getting wounded, and immediately cringed at the sight. He flipped the channels, finally settling on a random American movie that he wouldn't be paying attention to anyway—it will merely play in the background of his thoughts. 

His laptop was sitting on the coffee table from where he left it earlier, and with a new idea in his head, he grabs the item and opens it to his desktop. He opens a tab on Google, and before he lets himself out of it, he types a name into the searchbar and clicking enter. And, like he knew would happen, his computer screen was filled with pictures and information about the boy that can't seem to get out of his head: Lee Felix.

Changbin hadn't realized just how well-known Felix actually was. The boy has his own Wikipedia page! Plus, there's countless accounts dedicated to him, an overflowing amount of subscribers on his dance Youtube channel (which Changbin will definitely be watching later), and thousands of pictures from when he was a young boy until now. He's basically living the life of a celebrity, just without the stress of being an idol! It's very intriguing for Changbin, as he clicks on the channel to see what the boy has posted.

Changbin was about to click on the latest video until he heard a loud curse, and the slam of a door. Curiously, he closes the laptop and sets it aside, standing from his seat on the couch. Within seconds, his four friends emerge from their rooms with a mixture of fear and anger written on their faces. Changbin was more than confused at this point, and he wanted to ask what was going on but judging by the looks, he figured it would be best to just go along with whatever they say.

Chan throws a black shirt in Changbin's direction, with a facemark following close behind it. Changbin catches both items with ease, and before he's able to ask any questions, Chan is already giving him instructions, "Put those on, we have to do the mission tonight instead of tomorrow. We need to hurry, or we'll be too late."

Changbin was still confused, but with a shrug, he strips himself of his original top and throw on his black shirt. He places the facemark over his ears, but keeps it under his chin so he can continue speaking clearly. So, when the boys start to had for the door, Changbin pauses and quickly asks, "Wait, guys, stop for a second? Why are we changing the mission? We haven't done something like this in  _ages_! Chan, what's going on?"

Chan stopped at the door, and Changbin was trying to be patient but he simply can't. With a sigh, he watches as Chan turns around with a stressed expression, running a hand through his dark curls. Reluctantly, he begins explaining, "It's the Dreamies, Bin. The Dreamies found out our plans and now they're trying to steal the mission out form under us. This could harm us tremendously if they succeed in the mission, which is why me, you, and Jisung are leaving now!" 

Chan pushes he and Jisung out of the doorway, and when Changbin looked to the younger, his heart sank to his stomach. Jisung looked absolutely terrified, and Changbin swears that there were tear-stains on his cheeks. Jisung quickly looked down at the ground, walking in the direction of the car to avoid any conversation Changbin would have tried to start. It was very unlike him, so Changbin new something must have been really, really wrong. Though, he didn't have time to dwell on the thought, because Chan was quickly walking out the door.

Chan looked at him for a moment, before both boys began walking to the car. It was silent for a second, and Changbin almost felt nervous. It's been so log since he has fought against another group of thieves, and he has never been against one as well-rounded as the Dreamies. It's going to be a very difficult battle, but he prays it's nothing he and Jisung can't handle.

When the boys reach the car, Changbin notices Jisung sitting quietly in the middle of the backseat. He looked at the boy sadly, but simply climbs into the passengers seat without another word. Chan starts the car, and once the three are on the road, the pre-mission pep talk is in full swing, and their leaders begins telling them all the do's and don't's for the coming task. "We've been studying the Dreamies for months now, both of you should know each of their strengths and weaknesses like the back of your hand. SMIN is supposed to be finding out which ones will be entering and which will be hacking—SMIN, do you copy?"

" _Loud and clear, CB_ ," speaks Seungmin, and Changbin had almost forgotten the car radio was connected to their speakers at the flat. It's quite handy, and was a great idea Jeongin had a few months back. " _From what I can hear, they're discussing the mission right now. Renjun and Mark are going over everything with the group, and—wait, which one's Min?_ "

" _Min is Jaemin! They're sending Jaemin, Jeno, and Mark to fight! CB, it's going to be three against two!_ " speaks Jeongin, a hint of worry coming through his voice. Changbin gulped quietly to himself, sneakily looking back to see Jisung was still nervous. The boy has started nibbling on his fingernails, and when he locks eyes with Changbin, his mind was definitely not in the right set for a mission. But, as they were only ten minutes away form the place, there isn't much for Changbin to do to help him at this point.

Chan is thinking for a second, and Changbin watches his features to get an idea of what he was thinking. His jaw was clenched, and he looked so stressed out Changbin could practically see his dark hair turning grey. A minute passed, and Chan sighed quietly under his breath. Finally, he begins to explain the plan to the other boys, "JONE, you're going against Jaemin. I know you're scared, but you'll be fine, alright? You're so much better than you realize."

"Jaemin has a bad back, use that against him. One solid blow in the center should have him down in no-time," Changbin adds, and he notices Chan's nod of approval in the corner of his eye. Jisung was nodding along with everything the two were saying, and Changbin could see the relief he felt when hearing Jaemin would be one of the easier targets. Though, Jisung doesn't realize he could take down any of the Dreamies without a second thought—he just needs more faith in himself to do so.

Chan continues with, "I'm going in, as well. I can't let you two fight the Dreamies two-against-three, that would make me a pretty shit leader. But, it's been a while since I was in battle, and I'll probably be a bit rusty. Mark is going to be difficult to fight, but I should be able to take him down."

Changbin looked at the boy in confusion, rolling his eyes and saying, "CB, I am not letting you fight Mark. You take Jeno, because he's a much easier target and a definite victory from you. I'll take down Mark Lee, because all of us know how I feel about him," Changbin mutters the last line, looking out the window and taking deep breaths to control his building anger. And he could sense the way Chan and Jisung locked eyes behind him, but at this point, he really doesn't give a shit. 

Mark Lee is going to pay, Changbin will make sure of it.

Minutes go by, and Changbin felt the car come to a halt at the end of the street. Up ahead was their destination: a drug distribution warehouse. It's one of Changbin's least favorite places to do missions, but the outcome is always one of the best. Luckily, since most of the workers care more about the drugs being sold than the actual profit, it's very easy to sneak the money out from under their noses. When dealing with these places, the five boys could easily steal about 300 thousand dollars in one night!

As Changbin steps out of the car, he's hit with a strange sense of nostalgia. He's reminded of the times where it was just he and Chan against the world, back when they were only stealing toys from the store for Jeongin to play with as a kid. Way back before he knew Jisung and Seungmin, when he and Chan had just started going against the big companies when they were still rookies. Now, he looks at the two boys standing beside him, and he's got a mixture of different feelings about this night.

What could possibly go wrong?

They hurry to the back door of the warehouse, waiting for Seungmin's cue before stepping inside. When he walks through the door to the warehouse, Changbin goes to the back of his mind and SpearB takes control of his senses. He moves with ease through the darkness, having Chan and Jisung hot on his heels as he weasels through the dark halls. Seungmin and Jeongin are giving him the directions in his earpiece, and he tries to follow their every word. For a second, all of his nerves are gone, and he's feeling more relaxed during this mission than he has in ages.

Changbin pauses at the door to the main office, having Chan and Jisung close behind him. He takes a small breath through his nose, nodding to the other's to make sure they are ready before he opens the door. Chan nods back immediately, but Jisung hesitates. Though, with a small breath through the nose, Jisung nods his head and gets into a ready position. Changbin's hand is on the doorknob, and with a screw it attitude, Changbin opens the door and goes inside. Though, his eyes meet something he wasn't expecting.

_The Dreamies beat them there._

The three boys heads whipped up at the sound of the door opening, and Changbin felt a smirk growing onto his face. Jaemin and Jeno looked like deers caught in the headlights of a car, seeing they were frozen on the spot; Mark, however, looked angry.  _Good_ , Changbin thinks to himself,  _I'll give him something to be even angrier about_. He watched Mark narrow his eyes on the three, until they finally settled on a glare in Changbin's direction. Changbin snickered to himself, loving how he can push all of Mark's buttons without even trying.

"What the fuck are you three doing here?" asks Mark, the hint of his Canadian accent showing through his words. Changbin noticed how Jaemin and Jeno locked eyes with each other, seeming to be quite fearful for whatever will happen next. 

Changbin took a few steps towards the Dreamies, stopping barely five-feet ahead of them. He looked Mark up and down slowly, his evident bitterness showing through his eyes and covering his face. He rolled his eyes with a scoff, replying with, "We're here to take what we deserve. This is  _our_  side of town, Markie, what happened to our agreement?" Changbin fake pouts, saying with fake sadness, "You know what we agreed would happen if you ever showed your face around here again, right?"

Changbin was getting to him, that much was obvious. Mark steps out from behind the desk, his arms folded across his chest as he eyes the other. Cautiously, Jaemin and Jeno follow behind, trying to look fierce and intimidating but really just looking like a lost puppy. It was almost cute, and in a way, it reminded Changbin of when Jisung was first starting to train for this; he had the same puppy-dog eyes as these two boys, but Jisung was able to grow out of it before he started missions. It almost made Changbin wonder if this was Jaemin and Jeno's first mission.

"Bin, I know we have had our differences over the years, but I think it would be best for you and your friends to leave before you get hurt," Mark takes a step closer, and Changbin matches it. There couldn't have been more than a foot separating them now, and in the cocky voice Changbin simply despised, Mark continues, "Both of us know all too well that I can beat you, save yourself the embarrassment and  _get lost_."

Changbin raised his eyebrows, and in this moment, he cared about nothing more than defeating the boy in front of him. With his eyes narrowed and his voice low, Changbin utters out two words, " _Make me_."

Just like that, the fight has started.

Mark took the first swing towards Changbin, but the boy had already anticipated the blow coming his way. He dodged it with ease, getting two good hits against Mark's side. He could hear the boy's grunt, and it caught Changbin off guard in the slightest, causing one of Mark's punch to hit him in the ribs. Fuck, Changbin forgot how strong his old friend was, and this was probably the worst reminder.

Part of him wanted to feel bad for the fight, for hurting Mark physically in ways he wouldn't have imagined doing years ago. But, like most things in Changbin's life, it has changed. That's why Seo Changbin is willing to kick Mark Lee's ass because it's what he deserves.

Mark was his partner, his best friend when Changbin first started. Changbin just started living on the streets, and he met Mark on the first day. They were instantly friends, and Mark was the person who showed Changbin how to be a thief the right way. They were partners in crime for two years together, and then Mark stabbed him in the back. He stole drugs from one of the warehouses, placed it in Changbin's pocket, and then got the biggest drug lord in all of Korea against Changbin. Changbin suffered for years with the drug lord, while Mark was living freely.

Changbin hated Mark ever since.

"Do you realize what you put me through?!" Changbin yells. He didn't realize how carried away the fight had gotten. He was on top of Mark now, and the boy was struggling to get out. "Do you realize what I meant through after--after you betrayed me? You were my best friend, Mark! You were all I had, and--why did you do it? Why did you plant those drugs on me to get me caught?" Mark's eyes were wide and his face was turning red. Changbin could see the way his cheek had a big, purple bruise beginning to form, and he looked pathetic.

Changbin didn't know how much time had passed before he was pulled off. He could hear Chan's voice in his ear, listening to his calming tone as he says, "Bin, calm down, you're fine. You're not there anymore, okay? You're with us. We got you, yeah?"

Changbin nodded, his deep breaths helping him regain his composure. He went too far, that much was obvious to him. But, what he does notice is the way he  _doesn't regret it_. It felt  _good_ ; it was like he could get out all his anger he felt towards the other all at once, and Changbin  _loved it_. He looked up, seeing the way Jaemin was laying on the ground, holding his back in agony. Jisung must have taken his advice from before and used it during the fight. Good, Changbin will make sure to compliment him on that later.

Jeno was hovering over Jaemin, his gentle touches and soft whispers enough for Changbin to get the idea.  _Oh_ , that makes sense. Stupid of Mark to take such a young couple out on a mission together, but it makes sense. Mark looked bad; he was laying on the ground, awake, but not moving. Maybe he's in shock, or maybe his guilt is finally catching back up with him. Whatever, Changbin couldn't have cared less about what was going on with him. Jisung walked back over to he and Chan, saying frantically, "Guys, I got all the money this place was holding. SMIN and IN just said that the workers are going to come in here any second, so we need to go, like,  _now_!"

Changbin stood up from the ground, his back aching and his hands sorer than ever. He looks to the three boys, and for a second, he felt guilty for leaving them there. He locked eyes with Chan, and he could see that the boy was thinking the same thing as him. Changbin sighed aloud, walking towards the boy he despised and holding out his hand.

Mark looked at him strangely, saying quietly, "Why aren't you leaving us here? You three won! Go enjoy yourselves! You're supposed to leave us to get caught!"

Changbin shook his head, pulling Mark off the ground. The boy hissed in pain, holding his ribs and letting out a string of curses. Changbin moves to hold him under his arm, instructing Jeno to do the same thing with Jaemin so the six could get out of there. Changbin started fast-walking to the back door, ignoring the pained sounds that are escaping from Mark with every step. Chan opens the door, and all of them run out of the building with panting breaths.

The moment his feet his the grass, Changbin drops Mark there. He turned to leave, but paused, turning about around to say, "I'm not like you, Mark. Even though I hate you, I wouldn't have left you there to go through the same things I did. I wouldn't wish those things on  _anyone_. But for the last time, stay away from me and my friends. I don't want to see your face again."

Changbin began walking off from there, catching up to Jisung and Chan at the car. Both of them were looking at him sadly, with worried glances, but Changbin simply shrugged. There really was nothing else to do about it, what's done has been done. Plus, Changbin could tell that Jisung and Chan wanted to talk to him about this, to really make sure the boy was okay after the night they just experienced, but Changbin was having nothing of it.

"Let's just go home," Changbin mutters, before climbing inside the car.

Changbin was losing control of himself, and he was beginning to realize this now.  
  
  
  


♔  
  
  
  


Felix wanted this day to be over.

He and Minho were forced to go to the aquarium, which doesn't necessarily seem bad when first hearing about it, but it was  _awful_. It was a double date with Sana and Momo, and though the two girls were very kind and polite, Felix didn't want to be romantically involved with either of them. It was a living hell, and the whole time he was having to pretend to be someone he wasn't in order to impress people he really couldn't care any less about.

Felix was hoping to spend his day with Minho, that he and his brother could stick together since neither of them really wanted to be there, but Minho couldn't have followed his plans. Minho liked to be a people pleaser, and even if he wasn't interested in Momo, he was still quite a flirt and decided to give the girl a fun day. Felix envied his ability to simply flirt without any real feelings behind it; the younger boy struggles to  _talk_  to girls, let  _alone_  flirt with them! So, when the two pairs separated, Felix thought he was going to lose it.

Luckily, Sana made him feel very comfortable. She was quite soft-spoken, but her words were always sweet and her personality was very bright and outgoing. It had started out awkward on Felix's side, but he felt grateful when Sana took over and began starting the conversations. She was very mature—much more mature than Felix felt—but she still spoke with such a subtle hint of innocence that Felix found it so intriguing. There's probably millions of boys in the world that would fall in love with Sana after one glance, and Felix feels bad that she's with him instead.

The two walked into the last part of the aquarium, and Felix's eyes completely lit up at the sight of all the little fishes swimming around everywhere. It was astounding; the way they swam so freely in the open waters, the way so many different kinds of fish come together to create something so perfect. Felix was in love with the views around him, his eyes completely glistening as he looked around the room. It was one of the most beautiful things he has seen in so long, but it's not the most beautiful.  _That would be Changbin_.

Felix cringed at himself, his thoughts making a subtle blush appear on his cheeks. His eyes quickly dart to Sana, praying she wasn't paying enough attention to him to notice his reddening cheeks. Thankfully, she was standing in front of one of the glass walls, much more interested in the fishes than his burning face. He let out a breath of relief, slowing walking up to stand beside her. He lays his hands against the bar in front, and simply watches the view.

Sana looked over at him briefly, before turning back to the wall. It was quiet, and Felix didn't know if he should say something or let the moment last a small while longer. He has never been good with words, and now that he's being forced to impress someone, it makes everything much harder. Luckily, Sana was able to break the silence, "This might sound strange, but sometimes I wish I was like the fish."

Felix looked over to her confusedly, "What do you mean, Noona?"

Sana smiled bashfully, "Fish are able to swim openly, to go wherever they please throughout the big ocean. There's nothing in charge of them, nothing that can tell them what to do or where to go or what other fish to talk to. They're just... _free_ ," Sana paused, and Felix could tell she was getting upset due to her smile dropping. Much more serious, she adds, "Back home in Japan, my parents are very strict. They control my whole life—I don't even know what it feels like to be a kid. I just wish I could have more freedom, you know?"

Felix looked at her, a sad smile adorning his pretty lips as he says, "I know how you feel, Noona. My father...he's  _something_. I don't even know if he cares about me anymore. He's always trying to pin me against Minho to cause sibling rivalry, and he's just so—he's changed since Mum passed away," Felix paused, turning back to the ocean and gulping down his rising emotions, "Sometimes, I just wish I was allowed to be who  _I_  want to be and not who  _he_  wants me to be. I wish that I could choose my own career, my own path for life, and that I could love who I want to love!"

His words escaped for he could stop them, and Felix's eyes widened at the harsh things he just said. Apologetically, he follows with, "I'm sorry, Sana, that came out very wrong. You're really sweet and so beautiful, it's just, I—fuck,  _I don't even know how to explain this_ —I just—"

"It's alright, Felix, I understand," He turned to face her, but watched the way her eyes were lingering over something else,  _someone_  else. At first, he thought the girl was staring longingly towards Minho—which would have been understandable, in his eyes—but then he realized to whom the gaze was directed.  _Momo_. "I understand exactly how you feel."

At this moment, Felix felt more connected to someone than he even has before. The way Sana was staring towards the other girl, her eyes filled with something of fear and admiration, Felix knew there were hidden feelings involved. It reminded him so much of himself, the way he feels having to be concealed just like that of Sana. He and the girl were much more alike than he ever could have realized. To make the moment complete, Felix gently rests his hand over hers, giving it a subtle squeeze that meant so much more than either could have imagined.

Sana's head whipped around to face him, and their eyes locked. For a moment, everything came to a halt. The pair realized they were the same—they were both coming from shared backgrounds, with the same hopes and reams and the same feelings being pushed down deep inside to keep from ruining it all. The two had been feeling so alone for ages, believing that no one would ever understand what they are going through and having no one to talk to. It was in this moment that everything changed for the better.

Felix and Sana are no longer alone, they are in this together.

The rest of the date went by better than he could have ever imagined. He and Sana acted as normal friends would, and instead of trying too hard to impress one another, they acted as themselves. It was a beautiful contrast to the awkward and roughness of the start, and as the two split ways, Felix felt more than satisfied. Even on the car ride home, when Minho and Felix were asked questions by Jeongguk about their dates, it never brought him down from the great feelings (even if he had to pretend like he and Sana were beginning to  _like-like_  each other).

Now, Felix had been home from the double date for a few hours, and he was debating on calling Hyunjin over to tell his good news. He felt so lucky that Sana was like him, and that he wouldn't end up hurting her by the end of this situation. One of his biggest stresses about being set up with Sana was that he wouldn't able to give her everything she deserved; now he learned that he would never be able to be what she wanted because he was a  _boy_. The only person that could give her everything she wanted was Momo, and Felix could never be Momo.

Just like Sana would never be Changbin.

Changbin had texted Felix early in the morning, way before Felix was supposed to wake up. He didn't notice the message on his phone until during the double date, and he was always taught how rude it is to play on a phone during a date, so Felix had to leave the message unanswered. Though, as he read over the message once again, it wasn't really anything important that had to be answered immediately; Changbin was only sending him something sweet, and it made Felix smile softly to himself as he reads the words.

**_You have really pretty eyes, by the way._ **

A compliment. Out of all the things Changbin could have said, he gives Felix a compliment out of the blue. It makes the boy's face heat up down to his neck, blushing a bright pink and causing him to subtly bite against his lip. He is sitting in the living room of his house, and he  _was_  watching a show on the big television, but now there would have been no way for him to focus back on the TV. Now, Felix's mind is back on the person who makes his heart race in ways no one has before, and there's a high chance he's going to stay on this thought for a while.

Felix stared a the message, a smile on his face as he begins to wonder what he should say. What could he say? There's so much he  _wants_  to say, but nothing that he  _needs_  to say. Damn, who knew having a crush would be this stressful?

**_oh my god STOP i can't take compliments_ **

Felix cringed at himself, but simply went along with it. He threw he phone to the other end of the couch with a shake of his head, pulling his laptop back onto his lap and opening to what he had been working on. He was editing the latest dance cover, getting it ready to post onto the channel for the fans to enjoy. Normally, the editing portion was what Hyunjin and Minho hated most, but for Felix, it's rather relaxing. Something about it clears his mind, makes him feel calmer than he has in ages and simply keeps his stress contained.

The video was uploading now, and though it would take another four hours before it was finally up, Felix still felt excited. This is what Felix loves doing; he loves dancing, and he loves being able to post dance videos that lots of people enjoy watching. It makes him feel good inside, and it gives him a confidence boost he needs every-so-often. 

It's the only part of his life that makes him feel  _normal_.

Felix has grown accustomed to living a very extravagant lifestyle. He's used to the fact that he'll never be like a normal person, and that he's always going to be different in some ways. It's still rather strange to deal with at times, but as he's gotten older, Felix is more used to the fact. Like most things in his life, he has grown to overcome the hardships that were thrown his way—and, normally, he's able to do so.

Though, with a father like Lee Yichen, Felix is never able to catch a break.

His father walks into the living room, and Felix is immediately hit with the harsh smell of alcohol radiating off the man. Felix gulped as he looked up, and he immediately wanted to distance himself from the man before things could turn for the worst. He closes the laptop, gathering up his things before his father notices his presence in the room. He stands from the couch, his laptop tucked securely under his arm and his phone in his hand, and starts walking in the direction of his bedroom.

" _Where do you think you're going, Boy?_ " Felix stops in his tracks, his heart jumping to his throat in nervousness. His father's words were slightly slurred due to his intoxicated state, and his voice was stern and cold against Felix's ears. 

Felix gulped, slowly turning around to face the man. He was biting his lip nervously, cautiously, his worries getting the best of him. His father seemed angry—he's always angry when he's drunk, Felix has learned this all-too-well over the years of his life. His father strides over to him, some of his steps coming out as stumbles as he waltzes across the room. He stops in front of Felix, maybe three feet ahead, and the boy could have gotten drunk just off the smell. It was too much, strong to the point it was making him worried for his father's health.

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but is cut off by his father once again, "What were you doing when I walked in? What's got you so jumpy around me? It's not like I'm gonna bite," Yichen snickers, a rough laugh that makes Felix cringe to himself.

"I-I was uploading a dance cover, Father. Minho, Hyunjin, and I have been practicing it for weeks and I just—"

His father grunts, "'Thought I told you to quit making those. Those videos will get this company nowhere, do you understand me?" He looked down to Felix, narrowing his eyes at the boy and examining his face for some sign of hurt. Felix tried not to react to anything being said, but his father knows how to get under his skin in the worst ways, "I bet it was your idea, wasn't it? You're always the one to suggest the frilly, girly shit that you three get up to. That's the reason I had to fight with Sana's father to convince him you were man enough to be with Sana."

"Father, it wasn't my—"

"Don't you  _dare_  talk back to me," Yichen was closer now, his voice in Felix's face and making the young boy more scared than ever. He continued on, and with every word, his voice gets louder and louder, "I'm your  _father_ , have some damn respect. I knew you would ruin everything, you're going to destroy this company and destroy your own future! I hope you're happy, because you're never going to amount to _anything_. Go to your fucking room and stay there, I don't want to see you anymore tonight."

Felix nodded his head, apologizing quietly and quickly rushing off to his room. He was so used to ignoring everything his father says in his drunken state that he'd almost forgotten how bad those words actually hurt. He shut his bedroom door behind him, eating his things down on the bed and laying up against the silky pillows. He was staring at the ceiling, trying not to let the harsh words sink in, but it's too late. They're already floating around his head, consuming his thoughts in ways Felix will hate in the future.

He needed a distraction before things get any worse

Felix sighed, sitting up and grabbing his phone from the bottom of his bed. He opened his contacts and was searching for Hyunjin, but noticed a different name along the way, sparking a much better idea in his head. He debated the idea for a few seconds, the teeth coming down over his bottom lip out of nervousness. Felix knew if he debated the idea any longer he would decide it isn't good enough, so without another second, he clicks on the contact and dials the number.

Changbin answers seconds later, his voice a bit rough like he had just woken up, " _Hello?_ "

Felix's heart stops for a second, and he almost regrets calling the other. His mind blanked at the sound of his voice, and no words seemed to form in his mind. After a few seconds of an awkward silence pass, and Felix screamed in his mind to get a grip over himself, he was finally able to reply to the other boy. It was soft, and Felix wanted to cringe at how shaky his voice was coming out, but he hoped Changbin would simply look over it, "Changbinnie? It's Felix."

" _Felix? Is everything okay? Did something happen?_ " Changbin sounded much more awake now, his voice deep and smooth and sweet like the richest of honeys. It was beautiful against Felix's ears, and the boy could have just listened to Changbin talk for hours and never get bored. Changbin's voice is relaxing, something Felix picked up on the night they met in the park, right after Felix and his father were in a different argument.

Felix gulped, hoping his voice doesn't give out on him as he explains his reasoning for calling, "Yes, everything is okay! Sorry if I was interrupting something, I just needed a favor? It's just...I need something to get my mind off of everything that's going on. And it's completely fine if you're busy and can't do anything tonight since this is really short notice and I really didn't have anything in mind for us to do anyway, so don't feel like you have to do this for m—"

" _What's the favor, Lixie?_ " Changbin asks, and Felix can almost hear the smirk that's in his voice.

Felix gulped, "I want you to take me on an adventure, Hyung."

The line was silent for a few seconds, and Felix wondered if they were disconnected. Though, if Changbin was just coming up with an excuse to get out of it, Felix couldn't have been mad at him for it—if anything, he didn't blame him at all. Though, it wasn't long until Changbin was back and turning his whole world upside down.

Changbin replied, and though Felix couldn't see his face, he could tell the boy was wearing the cocky smile that drives him wild. " _Your wish is my command, Baby. Meet me at our spot at midnight_."

Felix had no idea what the older was planning, but he knew it would be something he loved.  
  
  


♔  
  


When Changbin asked him to come wearing swim-trunks, Felix was confused. Now that he's standing outside the backdoor of a public pool, he's less-confused but more-scared.

"Hyung, are you sure this is okay for us to be doing? The building is closed, we could get in so much trouble for this!" Felix exclaimed quietly as he looked at the older with widened and nervous eyes. Though, Changbin seemed so relaxed and not-nervous, it made Felix wonder if this is something he does often. How is he able to stay so relaxed when they're about to go inside a closed swimming pool? Felix wishes he knew, because he's probably about to freak out at any second.

Changbin looked at him with a smirk, and their eyes met for a brief moment. Though, the older break the glance to turn back towards the door, asking Felix in a hushed voice, "Do you trust me, Felix?"—and Felix couldn't help but say yes, resulting in Changbin next statement—"Then you should know I would never lead you into trouble, yeah? Don't worry so much, we'll be fine... _as long as we don't get caught_."

Felix's eyes widened at the last statement, his head whipping to look at the older. Changbin simply laughed, finding the whole situation too amusing and trying to keep everything light-hearted. Felix watched the boy squat down in front of the locked door, pulling out two little hairpins from the pocket of his black trunks. He noticed the way Changbin bent the little pins to do something Felix wasn't sure of, seeing the way he was wiggling them around in the lock of the door with a focused look on his face.

Seconds later, there was a click, and Changbin smiled brightly. He stands from the ground, checking their surroundings once more before he slowly intertwines his hand with Felix's. Felix was biting his lip as Changbin opened the door, his heart pounding as the older leads him into the dark building. They were only a few steps when when Changbin stops him, and Felix noticed the way he was feeling the wall for something until finally letting out a small, 'aha!' and flipping a switch.

The lights came on in a flash, and Felix took in his surrounding immediately.

He could hear Changbin giggling, until the older finally says, "You act as if you haven't seen a public pool before, Lix."

Felix smiled, following Changbin over to the row of chairs sitting along the concrete beside the pool. He watches Changbin sets his phone down, removing his black ball cap from his head and running a hand through his hair. Felix stood to the side awkwardly, slipping off his shoes and subconsciously playing with the boarder of his oversized t-shirt. He watches as Changbin walked to the edge of the pool, lowering one of his feet in and quickly pulling it out with a small curse. Felix gulped, his heart rate rising as Changbin walked back over to the chairs.

"The water is freezing cold," Changbin explained, and the silence envelopes the two boys once more. Felix could see exactly when the idea was formed in Changbin's mind, and he watched as the cheeky smile grows on his lips as he says, "That just means you have to keep me warm, right Lixie?"

Felix faces heats up, and the sight makes Changbin giggle. Felix didn't know why he was so nervous, but with each word Changbin speaks, his heart races. Changbin could tell something was off, and Felix knew it. The older boy walks over to him with a curious look, and says softly, "You're okay, right? If you want, we could do something else. I have always found this place really relaxing, and since you said you needed to get your mind off everything, I figured this was the perfect place for us to go."

And how could Felix ever say no when Changbin is smiling at him so sweetly? The younger boy completely _melted_ , and he couldn't stop his own smile from making it way onto his face. For a moment, he had completely forgotten about why he was so scared and was only able to focus on the boy standing in front of him looking  _heavenly_. Really, he shouldn't have anything to worry about; Changbin said he wouldn't lead Felix into trouble, so really, all Felix has to do is trust him.

Felix watches as Changbin grabbed the bottom of his shirt and swiftly pulls it over his head and oh my god, he shouldn't be getting so worked up over a shirtless Changbin. The older lays the shirt down on the chair, before walking over to the edge of the pool. He sits on the edge, letting his legs be completely enveloped by the cool water, before fully sliding in. The taller boy simply watched as the water rose up against Changbin's skin, stopping at his shoulder blades when the boy stands completely.

Changbin turns around, his eyes meeting Felix's in a warm gaze. He was smiling, and he teases the other by saying, "Come on, Lixie, you can't just watch me swim the whole night!"

And Felix knew the boy was right. He looked around the room once, being cautions of his surroundings as his fingers danced over the hem of his t-shirt. Insecurities were creeping into his mind one by one, but Felix shuts them out; he knows Changbin would never judge his looks, so he shouldn't be so worried about his body. 

He didn't give himself any time to think, because he knew he would back out. So, he swiftly pulls the shirt over his head and lays it atop Changbin's, following suit of the other and slowly sliding himself into the water. It was freezing, numbing his feet, his legs, his thighs, his stomach, every place the water was touching. A shiver ran through his body, and he could hear the older's little giggles as Felix swam closer.

The were close, so close Felix could see the toned outline of Changbin's upper body. He gulped as his eyes raked over the older, his chest on fire and his entire body tingling with a newfound excitement. Felix started blushing, and we started to move away from the other to save himself from embarrassment, but he was stopped before he could start moving. Changbin must have been reading his mind, because he gently grabbed Felix's hands and pulled the boy up against him, wrapping his arms around Felix's waist with the softest smile. 

Felix wanted to say something, but he was left speechless. His heart was pounding so loud that he was sure Changbin could hear it, and he was so confused because he wanted to pull Changbin even closer than he was and  _why does Felix want Changbin so close to him?_

Changbin looked down at his lips, subtly, before his eyes met back with Felix's. In a soft voice, he asks the younger, "Is this alright with you? Us being so close?"

And Felix took a moment to think about it, to really try and understand the way he is feeling. There were so many wild thoughts running through his mind, and what he really needed to do is  _calm down_. He took a breath, and then two, and then three, and Changbin was being so patient with him and so sweet that Felix was falling deeper by the second. Too much time had passed, and Felix knew it. So, with a small smile on his face, the younger boy nodded his head. He draped his arms across Changbin's shoulders, subtly moving himself even closer.

Changbin leaned his back against the pool wall, and Felix laid his forehead gently on Changbin's shoulder. It was a peaceful silent, the only sounds being made were the trickling of water and the intertwined breaths. Felix could live in this moment forever—he wishes he could live in this moment forever, to never go back and face the problems of the real world. But that could never happen.

For this moment, Felix will pretend it can.

Changbin breaks the silence first, his voice soft and slow as he says, "Did I ever tell you that I used to be on the swim-team when I was younger?" Felix lifts his head, shaking it with a look of curiosity adorning his face. Changbin smiled gently continuing on with, "I was, like, nine years old at the time. I won the most competition during that season, so a lot of the other kids didn't like the very much. My mom would tell me it was because they were jealous of me, and that I needed to use it to my advantage."

Felix smiled at him, "Your mom seems like a very smart woman, Bin. Not sure how she could have raised someone like you though..." Felix teases, giggling at the shocked expression Changbin has on his face. The older splashes him, and Felix simply takes it because he probably deserved it after the remark.

The giggling subsides, and Felix is pressed against Changbin's broad chest once more (which is where he wanted to be, anyway). He could tell Changbin was thinking deeply over something—reminiscing, maybe, due to the serene look on the boy's face. Felix was wondering what the older could have been thinking about, and part of him wondered whether Changbin would share his thoughts or keep them hidden away. He secretly hoped for the latter, but Felix would have respected either choice Changbin makes.

Luckily for him, Changbin chooses the latter. He watched as the older boy laughs out loud at something—most likely a memory—and Felix wondered what he could have been thinking of. Changbin spoke seconds later, interrupting his thoughts with the answer Felix had been searching for, "At one of my practices, one of the older and meaner boys said that if he beats me in a breath-holding contest, I have to let him win at the next meet. Now, Baby-Binnie was quite competitive, so I took the kids offer without a second thought.

"He and his friends had been shit-talking before, like they were trying to get in my head or something, but I knew I was going to win. So, when the competition started, the other boys were trying to make me give up before it really got started. Though, what they didn't realize was just how good I was at holding my breath; the other boy came up after a minutes, and I stayed under for almost _four_! They were so pissed afterwards, it was _hilarious_ , Lix," Changbin was laughing once against and Felix's heart skipped beats with every little giggle. He's got it bad, though he won't admit it.

Felix was going to say something in reply, but he wasn't exactly sure what to say after that. He had never been good with his words, and hopefully Changbin realizes this by now. Felix smiled softly at the other, and their eyes were locked one one another. He felt like he was above the moon, like he and Changbin were the only two people in the world that mattered. And in his heart, Felix knew Changbin was feeling the same way.

An idea pops into Felix's mind, and the boy runs with it. His smile turns into a smirk as he looked towards the other, and Changbin furrowed his eyebrows subtly at him. Finally, Felix teasingly says, "I bet if we had a breath-holding contest right now, I would beat you."

Changbin raised his eyebrows, and a challenging look appeared on his face. He laughed, saying to the boy, "Oh, really? I bet I could easily beat you," he gently lets go of Felix's waist, and the younger moves back so they both had space. Felix knew what Changbin was thinking before he said the words. Changbin continues with, "On the count of three, we go under, okay? One...two...

" _Three!_ "

The boys sunk down in the water, eyes opening and noses barely scrunching at the sting. Felix had to try hard to keep from laughing, waiting to see when Changbin would break and let him win. So far, both boys weren't close to coming up, and the challenge was not going to end at any time soon. Felix watched changbin barely swim closer, leaving about a foot between the two. He was smirking, and how he was able to keep such a look when he was underwater, Felix had no idea. But, here he was acting as if he had already won when the contest had barely started.

Around half-a-minute in, Felix felt a poke against his side. He looked at Changbin confusedly, and noticed the boy started to giggle. Felix hit him in the chest, coming out much softer than intended due to the water. This started the little hits and pokes that were used as a distraction, trying to make the other go up for air in order to get a solid victory. It was innocent and playful, and neither boy was actually trying to hurt the other. Though, when Felix saw a hand come close to his neck, he panicked, sucking in a breath full of water without thinking.

The boy darted up to the surface, a fit of coughs escaping as he tried to catch his breath. He was scared, but when he felt a hand lay on his shoulder, some of his nerves began to relax. He took in a breath, letting it out slowly in hopes the coughing would subside. It worked somewhat, enough to where he could feel the way Changbin's hands sneaked up to cup his face, continuously asking the boy if he was okay. Felix hadn't realized the boy's actions until now, and when he opened his eyes, he could see the frantic and fearful look on Changbin's face.

Felix let one of his tiny hands cover Changbin's, holding the digit in his palm and giving it a little squeeze. He watched Changbin sigh in relief, a worry washing off his face immediately. Changbin's hand gently pushed back Felix's brown locks from his face, and Felix couldn't help but bite his lip at the action. He hears Changbin suck in a sharp breath, and he stared at the older with his big, doe eyes as he waited to see what would happen next. He felt so innocent compared to the other, and it made him feel a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

Changbin was serious now, and Felix gulped as Changbin watched him. He felt nervous under the gaze, because _why was Changbin looking at him like that?_  Felix felt almost helpless, and he wished he knew what was going on inside the other's mind.

The older spoke, after much longer than Felix was hoping. It wasn't what the boy had expected him to say, but the words made his stomach flutter with butterflies and his heart burst in his chest, "Are you okay, Baby?"

 _Baby._  There's the word that makes Felix feel things he never has before. He was biting down on his lip, his face beginning to turn red along his cheeks. How does Changbin always turn him into such a blushing mess? Felix had no idea, but he could feel that something about this moment was different than the rest. There was a new atmosphere, one he and Changbin hadn't shared since the end of their first date—the exhilarating, love-filled aura that made Felix want to do things he  _definitely_  shouldn't be doing.

Felix nodded, not trusting his voice to carry the conversation. He took a breath to calm his blasting heart, knowing it was pumping so loud in his chest that he was sure Changbin could feel it. He felt the older's thumb gently raking over his cheek, in the exact same area he had kissed only two days before, and that made him feel a mixture of serenity and anticipation all mixed into one. Something about Changbin never fails to make him feel this way.

He took a short breath through his nose, looking into Changbin's eyes as he finds the words he wants to say. His voice came out so much deep than he expected, and his words were laced with a lustful grace that he didn't even know was possibly, "I'm always okay when I'm with you, Bin. You make me feel safe."

And Felix could tell that wasn't the answer Changbin had been expecting. He could tell by the way Changbin eyes widened, and the stunned look that appeared on his face for longer than either of them realized. Though, the speechless expression soon turned into one of admiration, and a soft and humble and gorgeous smile drew onto the older's lips. 

Though, the mood changed into something different. He noticed the way Changbin moved in closer, his body only inches away from Felix's as his thumb continued to stoke against his soft cheek. Felix could feel the heat radiating from his body, and suddenly the freezing water was too hot and Felix needed a relief from his heat that only Changbin could give. If Felix thought his words were lustful, he wasn't prepared for the sensual tone Changbin spoke in, every word coming out in a deep husk, "This is the second date, you know. And I bet there's been something you were waiting for since last time, isn't there?"

The teasing was something Felix wasn't expecting to love as much as he did. His body felt tingly with excitement, and the heat from his face and chest could have been enough to start a fire. Felix knew exactly what he wanted, and he knows Changbin knew, as well. He wasn't sure where the newfound confidence came from, and he definitely wasn't expected the blunt words to come from him, but the words fell out before he was able to stop him, "Kiss me, Hyungie. I-I  _need_  it,  _please_."

Changbin's smile turned into a smirk, like he got exactly what he wanted. Felix wanted to curse, because he really didn't want to beg and be to needy, but Changbin wasn't giving him what he wants. One thing about Lee Felix, he always gets what he wants. He opened his mouth to speak again, to beg like Changbin was wanting him to, but the boy was cut off before he had the chance.

Changbin's lips were pressed against his.

It was soft, and gentle, and better than anything Felix could have imagined. His eyes fluttered closed as he pressed back against the other, kissing back just as careful as Changbin. It was perfect, everything about Changbin was perfect and Felix couldn't get enough of it. Changbin's lips weren't soft, like Felix's; they were rough, chapped in a few different place, and everything Felix imagined them to be. Felix couldn't find the words to describe the feeling, he just knew it was everything he had been hoping for.

Changbin pulled away from him slowly, his hands dropping from their place against Felix's face and going back to his sides. Felix's eyes opened, and he couldn't think about anything other than the fact that the kiss wasn't enough. Felix needed more, and damn it, he was going to get it! Changbin looked at him for a few seconds, breathless and beautiful. Felix didn't give him a chance to say anything, to ruin the perfect moment he had building inside of his head. Felix himself wasn't thinking, his tunnel vision was turned on high and the only thing that mattered and his lips against Changbin's.

His hands wrapped against the back of Changbin's head, tangling in the boy's black locks as he quickly smashed their lips together. He could hear the surprised sound coming from the other, but it went to the back of his mind as Changbin wrapped his arms around Felix's middle. This is the relief Felix was searching for; it was messier than the first, and it was leaving him with  _much_ different feelings than he had during his first kiss. At first, he was timid and was just getting into things, but now he craved  _more_.

Changbin broke the kiss for a second, saying in a breathless whisper, "Lix, baby, you can slow down. We have all night, you don't have to rush anything, okay?"

And Felix knew Changbin was trying to do what he thinks is best, but it isn't what Felix thought at all. Felix bite his lip, before saying to the other, "Hyung, I have waited nineteen years for this moment. I don't want slow, Hyungie,  _I need more_."

Those three words seemed to flip a switch in Changbin, and his careful eyes turned dark with lust. The boy smirked, pulling Felix up against his chest as he says, "I can give you more, Baby. As much as you want, I'm here for it," before he presses their lips back together.

In that moment, Felix felt something he hadn't felt in ages; he felt  _alive_.

And he never wanted to lose that feeling again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope all of you loved this, and if you did, please give me a kudos and a comment! it was mean the absolute world to me!
> 
>  
> 
> [graphics for the chapter!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TLf5_pYLeOAIWpIlX9b7_-04lESO7DHd_iayl_L5i4o/edit?usp=sharing)
> 
>  
> 
> thanks again for reading! all my love ~ lauren


	5. just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter five is finally finsihed!! this is unedited bc it's four in the morning and i was really not wanting to stay up even later to work on that, lol
> 
> thank you so much for reading! now onto chapter five!!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
♔  
  
  
  
  


Felix has never felt more exhilarated in his life.

His hair was still fairly damp as he sneaks through the back door of his house. He was giddy, and it was troublesome trying to stay calm enough to pass through the house without being notice. At almost four in the morning, most of the people staying in the Lee household were fast asleep, and Felix  _definitely_  didn't want to be the person waking up the entire house as he sneaks in (something he would get in so much trouble for). Yet he was just so happy, for once, and he couldn't seem to let the feeling go.

He tip-toes through the living room, carefully walking up the stairs to get to his bedroom. All the lights were off, the only thing helping his vision was the small lamp sitting at the end of the hallway, illuminating the place in a soft yellow glow. It was just bright enough for Felix to see where he was walking, as he quietly passes by Minho's bedroom to get to his own. Finally, Felix reaches the door to his bedroom, gently opening it and stepping inside. He sighed in relief when the door shuts behind him, flipping on the light switch as he takes off his shoes by his door.

When he looks up from the ground, Felix couldn't help but let out a yelp in fright.

Sitting on Felix's bed was Woojin, his arms folded as he gives the younger a knowing glance. Felix's face completely paled, and he knew that this looked so bad.  _He_  looked bad; his hair was messy and barely wet, he was wearing  _swim trunks_ , and his lips were swollen a pretty pink from all the kissing. He watched as Woojin's eyes raked over his figure, slowing moving up and down with an indescribable look on his face. Felix bit the inside of his cheek nervously, and he felt nervous while waiting for Woojin to say something.

The older was too calm for Felix's liking, his words nonchalant and soft-spoken, "I'm guessing your headache must have gone away, right? The headache that was so bad you went into your room at seven and locked the door?" Woojin paused, unfolding his arms before he continues, "Minho went to check on you around one to see if you were sleeping. He has a key to your room, you know. Well, he was quite shocked when you weren't in there. When he came back and told me you weren't there, I covered for you and said I saw you going into the bathroom a few minutes before."

Felix gulped, his timid eyes meeting those of Woojin, "Does Minho know I snuck out?"

Felix almost didn't want to know the answer, as he was too scared to know what his brother would think. Minho cares so much about him, if he was to find out that Felix was sneaking out without telling anyone, Felix would have Minho hovering over him for _years_. So, when Woojin begins to answer the question, Felix holds his breath to see what it will be. "Minho doesn't know. He fell asleep right after I told him, so I decided to wait up on you to see when you would be getting home. Where were you at, Felix?"

He wanted to lie. Felix didn't know how he could tell Woojin where he was without giving away everything. He would have to explain the date, explain Changbin, explain his sexuality, explain much more than he is ready for. But, Woojin knows him too well to believe any lie he could try and tell. Now, Felix was at a crossroads; he wanted to tell Woojin, but he's  _scared_. He's scared of how the older will react, when in reality, he should know Woojin will always love him no matter what happens.

Felix's heart pounded as he began to speak, facing his fears as he says, "I was out with a friend."

Woojin's eyebrows raised at this, "Really? I messaged Hyunjin, and he had no idea where you were."

Felix rolled his eyes, a look of fake offense on his face, "I have more than one friend, Hyung!" He didn't let his nerves get to him this time, and he spoke without another thought, "I was with my friend Changbin; he has a pool so we decided to go swimming...if you couldn't tell by now," Felix motioned to his attire. Though a tiny portion of the story was a bit stretched, it seems Woojin didn't even notice! He had a tiny smile sitting on his lips as he watched the younger, and judging by the expression written on his face, Woojin knows there's something up between Felix and Changbin.

It was quiet for a few seconds, until Woojin's expression brightened as he realizes something in his mind. He smirked to Felix, his voice coming out rather teasing as he says, "Oh, so it was  _Changbin's_  jacket that you had laying at the bottom of your bed! I knew you didn't own anything by that brand, and it definitely wasn't the cologne you use...it's all starting to make sense now!" And when Felix's face begins to heat, the older boy starts to smile brightly. Though Felix was feeling quite embarrassed, he felt relieved to know Woojin didn't seem too freaked-out by anything so far.

Woojin patted the spot next to him on the bed softly, and Felix softly pattered to the open place on his bed. Woojin gave him a look, a look that Felix knew was one meaning he was about to get a parental-conversation. In a way, Felix always felt that Woojin gave off a fatherly-vibe; he was always so mature and refined, and he would give Felix some of the best advice in tough situations. Woojin was nurturing and kind towards him, which is something that Felix would be eternally grateful for.

Felix timidly sits beside the older, staring down at his folded hands and waiting to hear whatever it is the older boy has to say. He was feeling nervous once more, and part of him knew that woojin would be asking questions that Felix is scared to answer. Though, Woojin would never push him into answering if he wasn't ready, so Felix could always have a way out incase anything were to happen. It makes the boy feel the slightest bit more relaxed, but it isn't enough to contain his running mind.

"We are very similar, you know," Woojin speaks, and Felix looks to him questionably. Woojin didn't even notice, simply continuing on with his words, "When I was your age, I did the exact same thing you're doing now. I used to sneak out and hang around a different friend group—well, technically just one boy—and we used to go on adventures in the world just like you and Changbin. My friend and I had one certain spot we could always go to, and we would meet there almost every night and just talk for hours and hours—"

"That's what Changbin and I do!" Felix says, looking at Woojin with widened eyes. He never realized Woojin was one to sneak out, to break the rules without anyone knowing. Woojin smiled softly, nodding as his and giggling at Felix's astonished face. Now, if Minho or Hyunjin had a situation so closely alike to Felix, that would be much less shocking for the boy; Woojin has always been so reserved and well-mannered, Felix would have never imagined this type of behavior coming from the older boy. "We meet at the park, like, every night of the week."

Woojin smiled to himself, and it looked like he was reminiscing over the memories inside his mind. His features softened, and he was so pleasant with his words, "My friend and I would meet at this old library. He said that his grandmother owned it so she didn't mind if we were there after hours; now that I'm older, I kind of doubt that his grandmother actually owned the library, but who knows?" Woojin paused, sliding down until his head was on the pillows. His hands moved to cover his face as he says, muffled, "God, I haven't thought about this in so long, this is so weird."

Felix chuckled quietly at the older boy, his reactions some that Felix hadn't been expecting. Really, Felix wasn't expecting any of this from Woojin, but now that he knows, he realizes that they are much more alike than they ever realized. Felix slides down so he was laying next to the older, both boys staring up at his ceiling in the silent air. It was quiet, but it didn't feel like the conversation was ending; if anything, this made Felix anticipate whatever would come next.

Felix found himself asking a question without even realizing, a question that he had been silently wondering but wasn't sure if it was his place to actually ask. Though, now that he's  _literally asking it_ , he hopes it isn't overstepping any boundaries, "Hyung, you said that you used to sneak out and meet your friend—like, past-tense. Do you and your friend not see each other anymore?" His words were deep and slow, and Felix watches Woojin's attitude change as he shakes his head. Felix gulped, "Do you mind me asking why?"

Woojin took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Felix could tell this was hitting him hard, much harder than he made it seem. Felix felt a bit guilty for asking it, especially now that he can see the effect it's having on the older boy. He was about to say never mind and apologize to the other, but Woojin began to answer, "We don't see each other anymore because we broke up." His words were shaky, but he kept a strong persona. Woojin wouldn't let anyone see him as weak, and Felix is shocked to see Woojin opening up to him like this.

Woojin continued, answering the question that Felix was about to ask as if he could read the boy's mind, "I'm gay, Felix. I know that Minho knows, and I haven't exactly hidden my sexuality from you, but judging by how shocked you look right now, you must not have realized." Woojin was smiling now, and it looks as if the weight of the world just fell off his shoulders.

After so long, Felix had no idea; he really is so oblivious to his surroundings. But, now there's a new feeling in his chest trying to persuade him into spilling out his own secret to the older. Felix has only ever confided into Hyunjin, but now Woojin has trusted him with something so big and Felix is aching to tell someone else but he's just so scared. His mind thinks back to the feeling he has when he's with Changbin, the feeling of being brave and strong and his fears washing away. He keeps those thoughts in hid mind, until he finally works up the courage within himself.

"I really like Changbin," Felix speaks out, not daring to glance over at the older until he is finished. That wasnt really what he wanted to say, but it was a push in the direction he wanted to go. He continues before his mind talks him out of it, "And I-I'm gay, too. The only person who knows is Hyunjin because I've been so scared to talk about it—I couldn't even tell  _Minho-Hyung_  because I was scared he would hate me, Hyung. Honestly, I'm really fucking scared right now and I just—"

"Felix, look at me," Woojin cut off his rambling, and Felix turned to him with his big doe eyes, looking at him with a mixture of fear and a feeling he can't describe. "You're so brave, okay? You're so strong, it takes a lot for someone to face their fears like this, and you were able to overcome a fear that has probably been nagging at you for years now, hasn't it?" Felix nodded his head in reply as Woojin continues, "I'm really proud of you for this, and I will support you now matter what. And this might not mean that much coming from me, since I'm not Minho, but I  _can_  promise that he would support you, too."

And now Felix's eyes are welling up, quickly blinking away his tears before they began to fall. He looked back at Woojin and sees the boy's emotions are the same. The two boys quietly laugh at themselves, and Felix can't help but think that this is _definitely_  not how he was expecting his night to end. Though, now that Woojin knows and he supports him, Felix feels his heart growing happier and his soul getting stronger.  _This_  is the moment he had been waiting for.

Before Felix could have said anything else. Woojin looks at him with a smirk growing on his face. His teasing tone returns to follow with his next few words, "So, tell me about this Changbin you're liking...does he know that you're a Lee?"

Felix's eyes widened, quickly saying, "Oh my god, no! That would ruin everything! If he found out I was a Lee, he would change the way he acts and then he would just like me because I'm rich, and I can't have that happen! Honestly, I would be fine if he never found out, even though I know he will at some point in time, but still—"

"Felix, take it from me, you have to be honest with him. I tried hiding who I was from my old friend, as well, and it only caused problems in our relationship down the road. Trust me on this, alright? You have to tell Changbin who you are, otherwise both of you will be facing many more hardships than needed. Plus, if he really likes you, his feelings wouldn't change after finding out who you are!" Woojin finishes, and Felix couldn't help but sigh because  _why_   _does Woojin have to be so wise all the time_?

Felix let the advice sink in for a moment. If he  _doesn't_  tell Changbin, they will face more troubles down the road in their relationship, which sounds terrifying. But, if he  _does_  tell Changbin, there is a chance the boy could start treating him differently, which is equally as terrifying. Though, Felix knew which was the right choice, as much as he didn't want to admit it it to himself, he knew.

Felix had to tell Changbin who he really was.  
  
  
  
  
  


♚  
  
  
  
  


_"The deal is off!"_

Changbin had just walked in the door to the apartment, and he knew the topic had to be addressed before things go any further. The door slams shut behind him, and given any other circumstances Changbin would have felt bad, but he simply didn't care at this moment. He notices the glowing numbers sitting on the digital wall-clock: it was four-thirty, and there was a high chance everyone in the apartment would be sound asleep at this hour, but Changbin didn't care. This needed to be addressed  _now_.

He takes off his shoes and throws them near the pile sitting by the door, not caring enough to check where they landed. He walks briskly from the front door into the living room, seeing all the lights turned off with no sign of action around the room. The boy sighed to himself, because he was hoping someone would still be awake by the time he arrived, yet that doesn't seem to be the case. But, that factor is meaningless to Changbin, because now he will simply wake everyone up on his own accord.

Changbin marches down the hallway with all the bedrooms, going straight towards the room owned by their leader. He doesn't give himself any time to think, doesn't knock on the door as a signal, just swings open the door and flips on the light switch without any warnings. Chan couldn't have been asleep for long, because the moment the lights came on, the boy started to flitter his eyes against the bright lights. Changbin tried to keep patient as the older wakes, but he was so heated that his self-control was going overboard.

Finally, after much too long of a wait, Chan slowly sits up in his bed with a look of sleepless confusion washed on his face. He says tiredly, "Changbin? Why are you—" Chan yawns, cutting off his sentence briefly before continuing, "—why are you in my room? It's four in the morning! Go to bed!"

Changbin ignored his words, shutting the door behind him as he continues speaking in a harsh voice, "I want out of the deal, Hyung. I won't hurt Felix at the end of this—I  _can't_  hurt him! Felix doesn't deserve to be the one getting hurt after this, and honestly, I don't know if he could handle it. He's just so..." Changbin pauses briefly, searching for the right words to describe the boy that consumes all his thoughts, "He's  _perfect_ , Hyung; Felix is kind, and he's gentle, and he doubts his worth which breaks my heart because  _how does he not see how amazing he is?_ "

Changbin only stopped his words when he noticed Jeongin stirring from his bed on the other side of the room. For a moment, Changbin had forgotten the youngest would be sleeping here as well, being so focused on talking to Chan that everything else seemed to slip his mind. Though after a few seconds of tossing and turning, it seemed the boy had fallen back to sleep. Changbin looked back to the other, noticing how his face was shown with indescribable emotions, which is probably a bad sign.

"Bin, why the sudden change of heart? You were fine with the deal up until tonight, so what makes you want to switch sides?" Chan asked, until he paused briefly with a look of realization sliding across his face. Chan's expression dropped, and he groaned quietly before asking with an ambivalent tone, "Oh god, Changbin,  _please_  tell me you haven't developed some sort of school-girl crush on the kid!"

Changbin's eyes fell to the floor, and he didn't dare look up to face the older. Though, that factor seemed to be the only confirmation Chan needed for his answer. Changbin could hear the older groan once more, and he quickly braced himself for the stern talk Chan would be giving him any second. Changbin sighed quietly to himself, asking himself why it's such a big deal who he likes? It's not like he has these feelings for any person he sees, he really has only felt like this towards Felix. So, with that in mind, Changbin really doesn't understand the big deal.

"You know, I asked you to do this mission because I felt like you would be the only one to  _not_  catch any feelings. All you had to do was make him fall for you, not the other way around! Think about what we're losing as a team, Changbin; this team...we're a  _family_. What happened to always sticking with the team?" Changbin knew exactly what the older was trying to do, and he was not about to fall for it.

Changbin rolls his eyes, "You are not about to guilt trip me here, right? If anyone should feel guilty here, it's you and the others! How can none of you care that we're hurting one of the most-innocent people on the entire planet? Yeah, maybe he can be kind of oblivious to some things, and maybe he has been spoiled his whole life, but so what? Everyone comes from different backgrounds, and just because one person lives a great life doesn't mean we get to hate him since our's is so shitty," he takes a small breath, his voice lowering, "No amount of money would ever be worth hurting Felix, and nothing will change my mind on that."

He was about to walk out of the room, but was faced with the door opening ahead of him. He's met with a very sleepy Jisung, who rubs his eyes as he slowly enters into the room. Jisung quietly yawned, stepping around Changbin to lay on Chan's bed, closing his eyes tightly to shield the lights as he says exasperatedly, "Can you two  _please_  shut the fuck up! For the love of god, some people actually enjoy sleeping at night without being woken up by your arguments! You two better be glad _I_  came instead of  _Seungmin_ , because he was ready to knock both of you out."

It was quiet for a moment, as the two older boys looked at Jisung with stunned faces. Though, they were surprised as another voice adds, "I agree with Jisung! Please stop yelling at four in the _fucking_  morning!" Jeongin says, his words muffled as his face is hidden in his pillow to shield the lights. He's quickly reprimanded by Chan for the bad language used in his words, because  _he's the baby and he can't use those bad words_!

Chan turns to Jisung next, explaining to the boy what's going on from  _his perspective_ , "Changbin wants to call off the plan with Felix. He caught feelings and now he doesn't want to hurt the boy, which honestly, that should be more of a reason to  _do it_! You know how hard relationships are when we do what we do, Changbin." And though Chan does have a great point, Changbin would have never admitted it to the older.

Changbin rolled his eyes at the older's explanation, because that was definitely not what was really going on. Chan was twisting the situation to make Changbin seem like the bad guy, when in reality, he's the one trying to do the right thing! He felt so infuriated, the bitterness bubbling in the bottom of his chest that's growing hard to contain. Changbin let out a scoff quietly to himself, his arms folding against his chest. The two boys looked towards him, and it was very evident that Changbin was pissed.

The boy speaks before anyone could stop him, "What's actually happening, Jisung, is that I am calling off the deal because  _it's the right thing to do_! What we were planning to do to Felix is so cruel and heartless; we were literally destroying him just to build ourselves up, and that's so wrong. I know that it's not very often we get to be the good guys, since we fucking steal for a living, but just once I want to do the right thing," Changbin paused, looking away as he says quietly, "Felix is one of the sweetest people I've ever met, and I'm not going to be the one that hurt him. I can't do that to him."

Jisung looked between the two, a confused expression sitting on the boy's face. Finally, he asked in a tired tone, "Honestly, I knew this would end up happening at some point. I do think the plan is very wrong, but I'm not going to pick a side here. Chan, accept the fact Changbin wants to call off the deal and don't question it, it's his choice. Changbin, understand that you calling off the deal is hurting Chan because it's ruining the plan he had for our future together as a group. Everything's solved now, so  _please_  sort out your problems so I can go back to fucking _sleep_!"

Jisung stormed out of the room after this, and Changbin could hear the door to his and Seungmin's room slam shut before the quiet air returns once again. He turned back to Chan, seeing the older's expression was mirroring his own. They both knew Jisung was right, that they just had to accept each other's feelings and move on, but it was  _hard_. Changbin opened his mouth to say something, but Chan had beat him to it, "I think one of the reasons why this is so hard for me is because of Felix's dad. We both know how much I hate that man, and this is our one chance to finally have revenge, Bin."

Changbin looked at him, sighing quietly as his words come out soft-spoken and knowing, "Hyung, you can't judge Felix based on the actions of his father. Felix isn't Yichen, just like I'm not my parents, Jisung isn't his parents, and Jeongin isn't his. Seungmin doesn't even know who his parents are, and we don't hold that against him! You can't go through Felix to get to his father, because Felix doesn't deserve that at all." Changbin stopped as a smile grew across his lips, adding cutely at the end, "If you could just meet him, you would see just how wonderful he really is."

Changbin watched as Chan shakes his head, and for a moment, the boy wonders if maybe his words didn't stick like they should have. He wonders if Chan still didn't see his side of things, and that he was still wanting to go through with the plan. Changbin was tired of fighting with the older, but he wasn't sure if he said enough to change the boy's stubborn mind. So, Changbin's heart pounded as he waited to see what Chan had to say next, hoping it would be something Changbin would agree with rather than continue the ongoing bickering. 

Though, it was then Changbin noticed the little smile sitting on Chan's face, making his body relax completely. Chan looked up at him, his tone joking and low as he says, "Since when did you become so wise, Bin? I do see your point now, and I guess you are right in this situation; if I don't want to be judged on my father's actions, I can't judge Felix on his father either." Chan stopped talking then, and for a moment, Changbin thought that maybe the conversation had ended and he could go to his own room. Though, Chan wasn't finished with his teasing yet.

"Also, when did you ever become such a romantic? Ice skating and a swimming pool? Can you take me on a date next?"

Changbin rolls his eyes, and in his mind, he shoots the older a very inappropriate hand gesture. He walks to the doorway with a small smile, beginning to open it and walk out until a new thought comes into his head. His smile dropped, because he hadn't even thought about this scenario in his head until now. His new and sudden fears must have been a rather obvious sight, because Chan asked curiously, "What did you just think of, Bin? Your attitude did a complete flip in seconds, so it can't be something good." 

Changbin sighed, pausing in the doorway and turning to face the older as his words turn serious, "None of this can ever be told to Felix, okay? I can never tell him about the plan, it would ruin everything we're building between us."

Thankfully, Chan seemed to understand exactly how Changbin was feeling, in an odd way. He nodded, saying as he lays his head down onto his pillows, "I'll take this secret with me to the grave, don't worry. Though, you're probably going to want to delete our messages about the plan from your phone, just in case he were to ever see them, okay? Also, turn off the light on your way out! Sweet dreams, Changbinnie, and don't forget to dream about your  _lover-boy_!" He finishes in a teasing tone, smirking as Changbin's groan filled the room before the lights were turned off.

This was not how he expected his night to end, but he's so happy it turned out the way he had been secretly hoping. Now, he just has to make sure Felix never finds out about their original plan, which is much harder than it seems...

 

 

 

 

♔

 

 

 

Being around Changbin has become one of Felix's favorite activities.

It's been around three days since the second date, and the boys had messaged each other nonstop until they were able to meet up once again. Changbin was actually trying to take Felix on another grand adventure, but the younger boy denied that idea; he felt like tonight should be light and casual, not anything too serious. So, they met at their usual spot in the park at half-past twelve, the place completely empty giving them time to have for themselves. Changbin has said it once before, only the crazies come out this late at night. And Felix might be going crazy over the other.

They were playing a round of  _twenty questions_ , a game Felix has heard about but never actually experienced until now. So, when he asked what Changbin's favorite color, the older boy decided to add the rule stating  _no boring questions_. Now, everything being asked was much more deep and Felix actually felt like he was learning more things about the older. Changbin has such a mysterious aura surrounding him, his personality so dark but still so sweet in a way that continuously drives Felix wild.

"Wait, so you've seriously never gone to a public school before? Or, like, any school at all?" Changbin asks, his expression coming off shocked as Felix shook his head in reply. Felix didn't realize being homeschooled was so different, but then again, there's many things different between the life of an average person and himself. Changbin continued, "What was it like being homeschooled? I wish I could have done that instead of being sent to  _hell_."

Felix smiled at Changbin's exaggeration, a few giggles escaping before he could stop them, "Honestly, I really enjoyed being homeschooled. I would still have to get up early, like you would for a normal school day, but I would just walk into my library instead of going to an actually school building. My best friend would come over for it, as well as my older brother and one of his friends," Felix paused slightly, a new realization hitting him as he says, "I guess it was kind of like a high school, in a way; we had someone come in as our teacher, but my library was the classroom!"

Felix finishes his words with a little nod, figuring his answer had explained enough. He began raking through his mind to figure out what he can ask Changbin for the next round, but something about the other boy seemed very...off. Felix looked to him, and the older seemed very confused: his eyebrows were furrowed, and his expression was distorted, which was rather odd for the older. So, Felix felt  _himself_  getting confused over whatever is making Changbin confused; a completely ironic situation.

Finally, after a few more seconds of silence, Changbin asks, "Did you just say ' _your library_ '? As in you own your own  _library_?"

 _Oh_ , now Felix understands why Changbin was (or technically is) so confused. He should have chosen he words better than what was said, and he can't deny the nerves building inside his chest over the fear that Changbin could realize who is he. But, with the topic being the library, Felix has a perfect cover-up to give him extra time. And, his cover-up isn't even a lie, since it actually isn't his library, but someone else's!

"That came out weird, my bad," Felix states sheepishly, a small smile growing across his lips, "It's not my library, I'm just so used to going there that I guess that just slips out? The library is actually owned by one of my friends—Woojin Hyung saw that the library was going to get taken down a few months ago, so he bought it before the destruction could happen! He said it holds very special memories, and that he couldn't bear to see them all go, which makes sense." And now that Felix knows about Woojin's ex-boyfriend, it all finally clicked inside his head.

_Woojin bought the place he and his ex-boyfriend used to meet._

Everything in that situation finally made sense, after the many excuses Woojin would give whenever he was asked about the purchase. Though, Felix had to keep his newfound excitement contained, because there was no point in explaining the whole story to Changbin just so he could say Woojin's reasoning behind the purchase. Plus, Woojin most likely doesn't want many people to know the secret he told Felix, which leaves the younger boy sitting quietly as he slowly begins to contain himself.

Part of Felix wondered why the conversation became to suddenly quiet, since the boys had been so talkative moments before. Then, he remembers it was his turn to ask the next questions, which is why Changbin was waiting so patiently next to him. So, Felix thinks over any questions that seemed strong enough for the game. After a few seconds, a good question comes to Felix's mind, so the boy asks it without another thought, "What is your favorite memory? Like, childhood memories?"

Felix watched Changbin's face contort into a mixture of different emotions, and part of his grew worried that he was overstepping his boundaries. Changbin was good at hiding his emotions, that is something Felix has learned over the time he's known the boy. So, he can't help but fear that the questions was too much. Felix was about to take the questions back, to tell the boy he doesn't have to answer and that Felix can ask something else, but Changbin begins to speak (and save Felix from his state of fear).

"I didn't have the greatest childhood," Changbin begins, looking straight ahead towards the city, "My mother died when I was young, and my father left me with my grandmother because I was too much of a burden on him. My nana...she was one of the kindest women alive. She was on the older side, but she still went out of her way to provide for me and watch me succeed at school. She was so wonderful, Felix. Once, she surprised me at my swim-meet after saying she wouldn't be able to come! She took off work just to watch me!"

Felix smiled at Changbin's reaction, his heart fluttering as he looked at the boy. Seeing Changbin so happy like this warms Felix's heart; if he could, he would make sure Changbin could stay in this feeling forever, so he would never have to feel the pain of the world again. Felix says with a small smile, "She sounds wonderful, Binnie."

Changbin wore a small grin on his lips as he replies, "She was. I stayed with her until I was twelve, but then she passed away too. After that, I was taken to an orphanage on the outskirts of Busan, but I ran off when I was about fifteen? I came to Seoul, because I thought I could become a famous rapper—a silly dream, but I was a kid back then, I didn't know any better. Actually, I wanted to become a trainee at your father's company, but I was told that I ' _wasn't good enough._ ' I was crushed for a little while, but now that I'm older and know the difference between a dream and reality, I completely agree with his decision."

Felix's eyes widened, and in a stunned voice, he asks, "You wanted to train at Lee Entertainment? Oh my god, why did you never tell me this before! If you were fifteen, I was around fourteen—oh, that was when I lived in Australia with my mum," Felix connected the dots inside his head, and for a moment, things grow quiet again. Though, the two boys ask questions at the same time, the only difference being Changbin was calm and Felix was freaking out.

"What part of Australia did you live in?"

" _You know who I am?!_ "

Changbin laughed, shaking his head slightly as he looked to the younger boy with a smile. He answers Felix's question with a cheeky voice, "I thought it wasn't meant to be a secret? I remembered seeing you in pictures from different websites and magazines, and I am pretty sure I have actually seen you in the library. I didn't even realized you were trying to hide yourself from me! What, did you think it would have changed things between us?" Changbin asks, and slowly, Felix began to gently nod his head in reply.

The older rolls his eyes fondly, grabbing Felix beneath the chin and gently pressing their lips together. Felix sighed into the kiss, his small hands moving to sit on the sides of Changbin's face as he presses into the boy with little force. Changbin tastes like mints and cigarettes, and mixture of flavors that leaves intoxicated and ready for more. Though, Changbin breaks the kiss much sooner than Felix had hoped for, which leads Felix into stealing a quick peck from the other's lips before looking away with a bashful smile.

He brings his knees to his chest as a blush rests on his face, listening as Changbin to speak, "Felix, I like you because you're you! You being a Lee doesn't change anything for me, okay? You're still the boy I met at the park three weeks ago, and you're still the boy that I really like. Though, I have to say, the fact that you're  _hella_  rich does make me a little more intrigued..." When Felix whips his head around to face the older, Changbin begins laughing to himself. Felix pouts, and Changbin whines out exaggeratedly, " _Baby_ , don't pout! I was just kidding with you!"

And how could Felix resist when Changbin sounded so  _cute_? He simply shakes his head, moving to sit criss-crossed as he turns to face the older. Changbin simply watches him, a grin on his face as he waits to see what Felix does next. The younger rests his head on the hand being propped up on his knee, and he stares at Changbin for a moment before saying cutely, "You know, I'm pretty sure it was your turn to ask the next question. At least, it was before you got me so sidetracked!" He giggles.

Changbin thinks for a moment, and Felix used this time to let his eyes rake over Changbin's features for the millionth time tonight. He looks over Changbin's sharp jawline, his chapped lips, the little bruise sitting on the top of his cheek. He looks over the boy's long lashes, his nose, and just takes in everything about him. God, Changbin is so perfect. Felix is falling way too hard for the older boy, and there's no chance of slowing him down.

The older looks towards him, asking quietly, "Tell me about dance. I don't care what part, I just want to hear you talk about it because I know it's something you love."

Felix could stop the grin from sliding over his lips, and the only way to express his feeling is with the word  _lucky_. Felix is so very lucky. "I started dance when I was two, and I have done it every dance since. It's my happy place, if you will; it's the only thing in this world that I know I can count on, and I have never felt a feeling better than what I feel when I'm dancing. Minho-Hyung, Hyunjin, and I started a YouTube channel to post our dance choreography, and we have obtained a pretty steady following, too!" Felix says excitingly, until his face slowly drop.

Felix is reminded of his dad's feelings, and in a random spur of trust, Felix begins to share his thoughts with the older, "My father hates that I love dance. He thinks my love for dance makes me seem weak, and that I'm not a 'true man.' I don't know why I let what he says matter so much, but I just can't help it, I guess. It would feel nice if he could be proud of me, just once, you know?"

Changbin listened to Felix's words intently, and when he knew the boy was finished, he pulled Felix closer to him. Felix rested his head against Changbin's shoulder and listened as the older spoke, "Lix, his opinion of you doesn't matter. The only opinion that matters in your own; if you enjoy dancing, you need to dance! Never let him stop you from doing what you love, because he isn't worth that, okay? Honestly, he can  _suck my dic_ —"

Felix eyes widened, and he hit the older's chest softly before he could finish his sentence. The two boys simply giggled to themselves, settling back into the position they were in before with soft expression on both of their faces. This is the moment Felix wishes he could stay in forever; this peaceful, sweet, beautiful moment that makes him forget about the dreadful reality he goes to whenever he's away from the older. Being like this with Changbin makes Felix feel safe, and he wishes that feeling never had to leave.

"I have another question," Changbin interrupts the quiet moment with his next set of words, dragging Felix out of his thoughts in an instant. Felix waited to hear the question, but after a few seconds go by, it was never said. Slowly, he sits up to look at the boy with a confused glance, but when his eyes locked on those of Changbin, he could feel the nerves radiating from the boy. This made him feel even more confused, because he knows for a face that Seo Changbin  _never_  gets nervous, not even in the toughest situation.

"What's the question, Hyungie?" Felix asked, his voice coming out soft and sweet and everything Changbin was needing to hear. He watched the other boy gulp, Changbin's eyes blinking from Felix's lips to his freckles to his eyes and continuing in that pattern. He was making Felix feel nervous again, and Felix wished for nothing more than Changbin to just spit it out so he wouldn't be so worried! It can't be that big of a deal, right?"

Changbin sighed to himself, his words soft-spoken, "I know three weeks isn't a long time to know each other, and I really wanted to wait before I asked you this, but I don't think I can wait any longer for this to pan out. I know what I'm feeling, and if my intuition is right, I'm pretty sure you feel the same." Felix tilted his head to the side with a confused expression, waiting for Changbin to finally ask his question.

"I'm normally not one for labels, but I really want to start calling you my boyfriend. Do you want to be boyfriends, Lix?" Changbin finally asks, and that was definitely not the question Felix had been expecting from the older. His heart rate spikes, and for a second, he's completely stunned. He wasn't sure what to say (even though his mind was screaming out the obvious answer!!) and it was like it body had gone completely frozen.

When Felix is able to regain his composure, he does the one thing he could think of in the moment: he kisses Changbin. It's deep and passionate and Felix's arms wrap tightly around Changbin's neck as he presses their chests together. Felix breaks the kiss apart, pecking the older once, twice, three times before he rests his forehead against Changbin's. He lets out a breathy laugh, and part of him can't believe this is actually happening, can't believe how much his life has changed over the course of three weeks.

Felix smiled sweetly, "Was that enough to answer your question?" He asks, and when Changbin hummed in agreement, everything finally feels like it's falling into place. For in this moment, Felix feels like he's finally able to be himself, that he can do what he wants without the fear of judgement for ridicule. In this moment, everything was completely and utterly perfect.

Lee Felix has never been happier.

_If only it could have stayed that way..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope all of you loved this, and if you did, please give me a kudos and a comment! it would mean the absolute world to me!
> 
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> 
> [graphics for the chapter!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UC32kB_6iNix_hXiqvcjBFdtyJ_J32CJI5tESnFoVkI/edit?usp=sharing)
> 
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> 
> thanks again for reading! all my love ~ lauren


	6. oblivious sea i call history

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finallyyyy it feels so good to be writing again! y'all don't even know how crazy this summer has been with cheer and school and preparing for my senior year, but i finally found enough time to get this chapter finished! sorry for such a long wait, but hopefully this chapter will be worth it? :)
> 
> you also get a new character perspective which is fun! i think y'all will really enjoy that little twist!
> 
> now, onto chapter six!

  
  
  
  
  
  
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Changbin and Felix have been together for a month.

One whole month has passed since the day Changbin asked Felix to be his boyfriend during their time at the park, and really, not much has changed since. No life changing discoveries, no earth-shattering downfalls, and no heart-bursting moments. They continue going to their spot every few days, they still text just as much as they did before, and they both are stilling living the same lives as they were a month ago. It's basically the same, accept now Changbin feels happier than he has since he was a kid; Felix makes him happier than anything, and he feels so lucky to have the younger boy.

Apparently, Felix has gotten quite good at sneaking out of his house. The last time they were together, Felix was bragging to Changbin about the way he was able to lie straight to Jeongguk's face without cracking! (Changbin—of course—had no idea who Jeongguk was, which resulted in a very confused and jealous discussion afterwards). Though, only a minute or so after Felix's bragging, Changbin noticed the way the boy's expression dropped. Before he could even ask what was wrong, Felix was already going on about how guilty he feels for lying.

Felix is really the cutest boy, Changbin can't believe how lucky he is.

There was also the time Felix mentioned he had never eaten from a fast-food restaurant, resulting in Changbin taking him to the nearest McDonald's. Felix was so excited, and the two boys stayed in that restaurant until they were kicked out at closing time. Honestly, Changbin doesn't even like fast-food, but it was worth it to see Felix get so happy; the boy makes a lot of things Changbin normally dislikes much better. Felix makes the bad and the good things so much better.  _Felix_  is better.

Changbin notices the difference in his actions when he's around the boy, and they are so obvious that he was shocked he never noticed sooner. Changbin has always kept a dark and cold persona—a trait easily picked up when you've seen the things he's seen—to most everyone in his life. He's intimidating, something he uses to his advantage during missions or meeting with other rookie thieves. Like Chan used to tease him with,  _his soul is as dark as the clothing he wears on missions._

Now, Changbin is starting to see just how different he's becoming. Whenever he's near Felix, he's not dark or cold or intimidating like he normally would act. Instead, he's kind, and playful, and happy, and bright, and  _holy shit he feels so much better like this_. Never did he imagine the way his attitude distinctly changed, and never did he imagine how much he would like the brighter version of himself. Felix brings out the best in him; him being so soft and special makes Changbin strive to be good. He wants to be good enough for the other.

Maybe that's part of falling in love?

Changbin knows he's not in love with Felix—he doesn't even know what love is yet!—but he can definitely see himself falling in the future. Though, sometimes Changbin can feel Felix's loving emotions throughout the younger's actions. Normally, the thought and feeling of love is absolutely terrifying, yet now, Changbin doesn't feel so scared anymore. He welcomes the feeling. It's like he's being pulled in a new direction, and somehow, Changbin thinks he likes it.

" _Changbin, did you hear a word that we just said?_ "

Changbin's head snaps up, and immediately he's pulled from his pure daze back into reality. The four boys were staring at him intently, unhappy and aggravated frowns sitting across their faces as they await his answer. Changbin gulped silently, sighing to himself as he slowly shakes his head. He can hear the way Chan groans loudly, and he can obviously tell that the boy was growing impatient with him. Honestly, Chan has probably been holding the tiniest grudge against Changbin since the deal was called off.

There was tension in the air, and that was evident to everyone. The room was so think that you could almost feel the tension, something that  _definitely_  shouldn't be happening. Changbin waited for the older to say something like he normally does, but after a few seconds of complete silence, it seemed that he was going to keep quiet. So, Changbin just waited to see what would happen next and see who was going to break. He sits back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest as the eyes the four boys.

Jeongin is the first to speak, a factor that isn't very shocking in Changbin's mind. The boy says quietly, "We were discussing tonight's mission. Channie Hyung was giving you and Jisung Hyung a rundown of everything to do, and Seungmin Hyung and I were going over the layout of the building and what places to go in. Hyung, did you really not here  _anything_  we were talking about? We went over the entire plan, like, in  _depth_!"

Changbin shook his head, and the bitter words leave his mouth before he can even realize what he's saying, "Can you not just give me a quick rundown? It's going to be the same as always, just tell me where to enter and what to steal and I'm good. No big deal."

Changbin watches how Chan rolls his eyes visibly, before saying in a stern voice, "Changbin, this is a big deal! If you were to make one tiny mistake tonight, do you know what would happen? You could get sent to  _jail_ , Changbin! That, or you could get  _shot_ , or you could get beaten without any of us knowing how to help! Your wellbeing is what's most important here, okay?" Chan's eyes softened, and for a moment, guilt began getting to Changbin. Chan continued his words with a quiet tone, "This mission is against a  _drug company_. We're going back to face  _Kim_   _Gao_ , Changbin."

Hearing this had Changbin's full attention. His heart started racing, and if he didn't know any better, he would say that he's  _nervous_. Changbin  _definitely_ knew what Kim Gao was—almost everyone person in the country has heard the name Kim Gao! Kim Gao was the biggest and most infamous mafia branch in Seoul. They were the baddest of the bad, and no one has every been able to successfully steal from the gang.

_Well, until Seo Changbin came along, that is._

Changbin has done one mission against Kim Gao, and he hoped he would never do another. It's supposed to be very simple, and they normally don't pay much attention to the room containing all the information. Knowing that information, it wouldn't seem so scary. Though, the hard part is getting to the room without getting caught. Kim Gao has guards everywhere, along with cameras and fucking  _lasers_  to keep people out. This group goes all-out in order to stop people, and Changbin wonders if this is a good idea.

His eyes run over to Jisung, and like he had expected, the boy looked terrified. Jisung shouldn't have to come along for the mission—facing the Kim Gao is a big deal, it's something to mentally prepare for before considering. Though Jisung is very talented in this line of work, he's only gone on two missions so far! To handle a mission this big takes years of experience, and takes a solid mind that won't let fears creep in.

"Are you sure we should go against Kim Gao now? Hyung, you remember when we first faced them, you remember how hard everything was on us, you remember the bruises and cuts and scars that stayed with us for weeks afterwards...are you sure this is a good idea?" Changbin asks, feeling the nervous in his body come to play with each word spoken. As he locks eyes with Chan, he notices how the other boy is feeling the same, just hiding it.

It was quiet now, and Changbin took a moment to look around the room at the other's reactions. Jisung had his eyes focused at the floor, his face written with worry and he refuses to look at anyone. Jeongin and Seungmin both shared the uncomfortable feelings in their expressions; it was like they had so much to say, but they were too scared to say it. Changbin's eyes moved to Chan last, and he wasn't expecting to see the way Chan was mentally debating his plan. It was like he knows the plan is too rushed, yet he doesn't want to rule anything out too soon.

Chan sighs, "The only reason I think we should is because of their mishap in shipping. I have been keeping track of them for a while now, and every month a part of their shipment goes missing. This month the amount grew, so most of the men are investigating that! It seems quite convenient for us, which was the reason I thought we could do this so easily." He pauses, thinking again for a moment before saying, "If you two don't think it's a good idea, we can wait and do this mission another time. I don't want you two getting hurt, so we'll do whatever is best and will keep you safe."

Changbin was stunned for a moment, and he slowly makes eye contact with an elated Jisung. No part of him expected for that to go so smoothly; Changbin was already prepared for the bickering back-and-forth until Chan finally gave in. But Chan...he just went with it? That factor is very unexpected, and Changbin is pretty sure he has never seen the older boy just drop a mission so quickly. Of course, given that this mission is going to be facing the largest drug company in South Korea, maybe it's good that Chan gave in so quickly.

Jisung sighed out in relief, his expression content and satisfied. He turns to Chan with a big smile sitting across his lips, saying sweetly, "Hyung, you have no idea how happy you just made me! This means we are free for the night, correct? Because there's a new Spider-Man movie in theaters and Seungmin and I were really wanting to go see it tonight!" And if the brightened expression on Seungmin's face says anything, the boys had been planning this for a while now.

Chan shrugged his shoulders lightly, nodding his head, "I don't see why not, so yes. You two know what time to be home, and as long as you stay out of trouble, it should be fine!"

By this point, Changbin had quit listening to the conversation. The boys started going on and on about the movie and all the different superheroes that were supposed to be shown throughout the film. Changbin wasn't interested in superhero movies, and he was growing uninterested in the conversation as it continues. Though, there's a buzzing coming from his phone that's beginning to take his attention, and Changbin knows exactly who the message is from. When he sees the name lighting his screen, a smile grows onto his face; it's Felix.

**_we're still on for tomorrow night, right?_ **

For a moment, it slipped Changbin's mind that he and Felix were supposed to have a date the following night. He's normally much better about remember important things like this, but he's had so many things crowding his thoughts that he simply forgot. Though, now that Felix has reminded him, how could he ever say no?

**_Yes we are. Where were you wanting to go?_ **

**_there is an arcade on fifth's street that i thought we could check out! if you don't want to it's fine, i just thought it could be a fun change from our normal park dates haha_ **

Changbin's heart grew warm, and there really wasn't a way he could tell the boy no. He could sense Felix's excitement through the message, and he couldn't ruin that for the younger. So he agrees without a second thought, watching as the many excited messages begin flooding in from his boyfriend. He laughed silently, and instead of saying anything else, Changbin sends a little heart and closes his phone.

When he looks up, everyone had already left the room, except one. He notices Jeongin sitting with a pout resting on his lips. He nudges the younger boy, seeing him look up with a frown resting on his lips. Changbin's eyes furrowed, and he finds himself asking about the boy without a second thought, "Jeongin? Is everything alright?"

Jeongin sighed lightly, and Changbin didn't want to push anything, but it was obvious that something was wrong. Jeongin was unhappy about something, and Changbin felt oddly curious to know what that may be. Though, he wasn't going to force the young boy to talk; if Jeongin wasn't ready to speak on the matter, Changbin wasn't going to make him. He cares about about Jeongin's wellbeing than his own curiosity. So, he would simply wait to see what the younger boy does.

Changbin watches as Jeongin gulps, before saying quietly, "It's so stupid, Hyung, you're going to laugh at me when I tell you." Jeongin sighs quietly, before continuing with his quiet words, "I just wish I had the freedom that all of you have, you know? Chan Hyung is so protective over me—which I'm really thankful for!—but I don't understand why? I'm eighteen now! I'm going to be an adult soon! I just feel like everyone still treats me as a kid; Chan Hyung probably still sees me as the ten-year-old he found on the streets instead of who I am now."

Changbin hadn't been expecting this as Jeongin's confession. He was expecting something much more simple rather than something so deep and meaningful. This seems to be something that has been picking at Jeongin for a while, and honestly, Changbin had never noticed it until now. He and the other boys do tend to baby Jeongin, even in the simplest of tasks! Now that Jeongin had brought it to attention, Changbin finally sees the way things really are.

"I'm sorry, Jeonginnie, I never realized the way we were treating you," Changbin starts softly, "Honestly, I feel like we all have gotten used to taking care of you. Hell, Chan basically raised you from the moment he found you until now! I guess he ignored the fact that you're growing up so we could keep you as our baby for even longer..." His words faded out, and he watches Jeongin's little shrug. It hurt Changbin's heart to see the boy like this, no matter how much Jeongin pretends he's okay.

Jeongin smiled sadly, "It's okay, Hyungie, I know that you all didn't mean anything bad by your actions!" And though he was acting like everything was okay, Changbin could tell it wasn't.

Changbin pondered over everything for a small moment, and really, the young boy has a point. Everyone has a large share of freedom except Jeongin, and he doesn't really understand why. The boy is barely allowed to walk to school everyday, and most of the time Chan simply drives him there. It's a bit strange, especially considering the fact that no one else was treated like this at Jeongin's age. Changbin feels bad for the boy, and part of him wishes he could give Jeongin a little taste of freedom.

An idea popped inside his head. He wasn't sure how it would work, and if they get caught, he  _knows_  Chan would be pissed, but he really doesn't care. This idea is amazing, and it can give the younger boy the sense of adventure he has been looking for.

"I have a date with Felix tomorrow night, and you're going to come with us," Changbin says proudly, knowing that this plan has to work. He watched Jeongin look up from his computer with a confused expression: his eyebrows were furrowed, and his head was barely tilted like a little puppy. Changbin could tell Jeongin was going to refuse, so he quickly adds, "Listen, this is perfect! Felix and I only go out in the middle of the night, so there's no chance you'd get caught sneaking out with me! Plus, we're going to that arcade you've always talked about, so I know you'd have fun."

Jeongin perked up when hearing the place they would be going, because he has always wanted to go to that arcade. Though, a little frown resumed on his lips seconds later. Changbin was about to ask what's wrong, but Jeongin already started explaining, "Hyung, I don't want to third-wheel on your date. You and Felix should go and have fun! We could always go another time, or something."

Changbin was not about to let this plan go to waste. This is probably the best plan he's had in ages, and it's so evident that the plan will work out! So, he has to find a way to get everyone on board with it, starting with Jeongin. Though, the answer to Jeongin's problem was rather obvious: if he doesn't want to third-wheel, they should add another person!

Luckily, Changbin already had the person in mind.

"I can get Felix to bring the friend he's always talking about!" Changbin exclaims, "If he comes, you wouldn't be a third-wheel and you might actually make a new friend! Felix goes on and on about how great this kid is, so I bet you two would get along!" And though Jeongin still looked a bit reluctant, he seemed more into the idea than before. Though, there was no backing out now for him, because Changbin already grabbed his phone to text his boyfriend about the plan.

"Just trust me, Jeonginnie, this is going to work out perfectly!"

And though Changbin wasn't completely sure this would work, just seeing the smile on Jeongin's face as he left the room made everything worth it. If something this small can make the boy so happy, Changbin knows that tomorrow night should be the most fun Jeongin has had in a while!

_Well, as long as nothing goes wrong..._   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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Hyunjin has no idea how Felix talked him into this.

He and Felix had just gotten home from dance practice when the idea was sprung on him. Hyunjin had barely even sat on his bed before Felix was planning out his and Changbin's date, telling the plan for getting ready and what time they needed to leave. Hyunjin had barely been listening to the boy, seeing as this would be another time Felix rants on and on about his boyfriend and their dates. Though, Hyunjin was able to catch onto one certain word that stuck out;  _we_.

Hyunjin looked at his friend confusedly, "Lix, did you just say ' _we_ '? What time  _we_  are leaving? As in  _you and me_?"

Felix looked up at the boy, mirroring the confusion Hyunjin had on his face. They stared at each other for who knows how long, waiting for each other to explain something. Finally, Hyunjin sees the way Felix's eyes widen, a groan leaving his lip and a hand slaps against his forehead. "Fuck, I didn't tell you the plan! I guess I just  _thought_  about telling you and didn't realize I never _actually told you_?"

Hyunjin, bless his soul, was still left clueless as the other boy spoke. In a slightly nervous, slightly concerned voice, Hyunjin asks, "Felix, what are you talking about? What did you forget to tell me?" And when Felix looks up at him with a pleading look, Hyunjin knows there's something mischievous going on.

"Before I say anything, you have to remember all the times I covered for you in the past, alright? Remember that time when we were sixteen and I had to tell Minho and Woojin that I gave you the hickeys on your neck so they didn't find out you went on a date with one of the  _idols_? This can be your repayment for that, okay?" Felix rambles, and Hyunjin can tell that the boy was getting nervous over whatever this plan may be. Hyunjin sighed, but nodded his head for the boy to continue.

Felix cleared his throat, "Changbin asked me if you could come along on our date tonight to keep his friend company and I already told him that you would."

Hyunjin's eyes widened, " _Felix! What the f-_ "

Before the curse leaves Hyunjin's mouth, Felix quickly exclaims, "Remember, this is you repaying me! Please, Hyunjin, just do me this favor! Please, please, please, please—" Felix repeated the word who knows how many times, and Hyunjin tried his best to ignore the boy's persistence. He really didn't want to do this; it feels like he's being set up on a date, which has already happened once with Heejin! Why did it have to be him that Felix chose to go on the date? Why couldn't it have just been Woojin or Minho?

The other boy wasn't going to take no for an answer, and Hyunjin can definitely see that. Felix was doing everything in his power to make Hyunjin agree, to get Hyunjin to crack under the pressure. Hyunjin was trying his best to withstand it, but Felix definitely knows how to push his buttons. Finally, though he had really not wanted to agree, Hyunjin finds himself saying yes to the proposition, "Alright, I'll go! But I'm only doing this because you covered for me then, and I'm not going to guarantee that I'll have fun."

That's how Hyunjin ended up here: standing in the parking lot of a 24-hour arcade at two-thirty in the morning.

It wasn't where he wanted to be, but he continuously reminded himself that this is for Felix, so he has to go through with it.  Though, watching how nervous his friend was becoming was starting to make  _him_  feel nervous, when really, they had nothing to worry about. Hyunjin didn't even know what Felix could have been stressing over; the two got to the arcade early (for god knows what reason), so Changbin and his friend probably wouldn't be late. What else could have Felix so stressed out?

Felix was biting his nails when Hyunjin glanced at him, a nasty habit the boy picked up on years ago. It's normally something that he does whenever he's nervous, so judging by that factor, something has to be wrong. Hyunjin takes a small step closer to the boy and gently nudges him with his shoulder. Felix looked up to Hyunjin and the taller boy could see the nerves hidden in the boy's eyes. There was something eating at him, and Hyunjin wants to know what.

"...Lix? You know if there's something wrong, you can tell me, right? You look like you're really sick, or something. Are you feeling okay?" Hyunjin asks, gently setting his hand on Felix's forehead to take the boy's temperature. Felix batted the boy's hand away, a gentle smile coming onto his lips. Maybe he was alright after all, and maybe Hyunjin was simply over-reacting, but he seemed rather upset to the taller boy.

Felix patted the boy on the shoulder, "I'm fine, Jinnie, there's no need to worry," He paused, and Hyunjin gave him a look that he knew would make the boy crack. Felix sighed,  looking at the street lamp and saying quietly, "I'm just worried about Changbin. The past few times we've been together I've found these big bruises and cuts on him, but whenever I ask him about them, he always avoids the questions! I'm just worried that he could be in trouble, or something, you know? Like, what if someone is out to get him, Hyunjin?" Felix cries, and the worry fills his dark eyes once more.

Hyunjin shakes his head, saying calmly to help his stressing friend, "Felix, you can't worry about things you don't know, okay? If you worry about it now, and then you find out what's wrong and start worrying more, that's double the worrying!" Hyunjin cringes slightly at his words, before he continues, "If there was something wrong, Changbin would tell you about it. I  _know_  he would. Whenever he's ready to tell you, he'll tell you; just be patient with him, alright?"

Slowly, Felix nods his heads, quietly adding, "If he comes tonight with bruises on his face, I'll have to ask him about it, Hyunjin! At least, I'll ask him if he's okay? I just want him to be okay."

" _You want who to be okay?_ "

Felix's head whips around and—oh, so that's what it looks like to be in love. Felix face completely softens and his eyes dilate twice their size. The smile comes a second later, and then he and the boy are kissing and Hyunjin feels  _really_  out of place right now. Awkwardly, Hyunjin looks away from the couple for a few seconds, waiting for them to finish... _that_  before he looks back.

He looks back when he hears them pull away, and for the first time, he sees Felix's boyfriend. Changbin is nothing like he imagined yet everything he imagined at the same time. His eyes were soft as he stared at Felix, a striking contrast to the strong nose and sharp jaw. Changbin's black hair fell low on his forehead, covering part of his eyes and giving the boy a sense of mystery that was oddly intriguing. Hyunjin looked back and forth between the two, and he can definitely see what Felix likes about Changbin.

They  _do_  make a very cute couple, he can't deny that. They look almost like opposites, in a way; Changbin has a dark aura, while Felix is bright like the sun. It feels nice to finally put a face to the name that he's heard for a month solid, but part of him feels awkward to be here. He feels quite isolated, almost like he had been forgotten. Wasn't there supposed to be someone else coming, or is Hyunjin stuck being tonight's third-wheel?

"O-Oh my god,  _your Hwang Hyunjin!_ "

Hyunjin's head whipped around to the voice calling his name, and oh my god there's a cute boy staring at him and he doesn't know what to do. The boy was almost his height, but just a tiny bit shorter. His hair had been dyed red and his smile was brighter than the sun on a mid-summers day. This boy had to have been young; his face was like a baby's, youthful and glowing and full of so much joy that Hyunjin felt happy just seeing him. The longer that Hyunjin watched the boy, the harder it felt for him to look away.

The boy spoke again, and Hyunjin's heart pounded with each word, "S-Sorry, that sounded really weird. I  _swear_  I'm not a stalker, or something, I just—uh—I've been watching your dance videos on YouTube for a really long time now. You're  _really_  good, by the way! Like, you were always the one that caught my attention the most, you're just  _so good_!" The kid smiles, a light blush running over his cheeks and suddenly Hyunjin wants to kiss the blush away.

Hyunjin shook his head, his own smile growing as he says, "You didn't sound strange, don't worry; your words were actually really sweet! I'm not really used to people telling me this, so I really appreciate it!" Hyunjin beams, before bashfully looking towards the ground. Though, to divert the attention away from himself, Hyunjin asks the boy, "Wait, did you tell me your name?" to which the boy slowly shakes his head, causing Hyunjin to add, "Well, now you definitely have to tell me!"

The boy gulped, and Hyunjin could tell from his expression that he was nervous. Why is the boy so nervous around him? Hyunjin isn't that intimidating... _right_? Oh god, is Hyunjin actually this intimidating? He was beginning to jump to conclusions about every little thing, but thankfully, his racing mind comes to a halt when the cute boy begins to speak, "I-I'm Jeongin. Sorry, I don't know why I'm so nervous right now; you're just older than me and you're so  _cool_ and  _oh my god, I should probably stop talking now_."

Hyunjin couldn't help but laugh quietly as the younger boy hid his face, letting out a little 'coo' at him. When Jeongin uncovers his face, his cheeks are bright red and his expression is bashful. Hyunjin doesn't understand why he's feeling such a sudden urge to be near this boy; it almost feels like a case of love at first sight, something Hyunjin never really believed in until this moment. Jeongin is just so... _pretty_. He's so pretty and Hyunjin just wants to hold him and never let him go.

When Hyunjin glanced towards where Felix and Changbin were stand, he noticed that the spot was now empty. How long had he and Jeongin been standing out here for? Hyunjin gently nudges the younger boy with his elbow to grab his attention, but he freezes slightly when his eyes meet the golden brown orbs of the other. Hyunjin's heart was pounding in his chest, and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he says, "C'mon, let's head inside before our friends start looking for us."

"As if those two would look for us. I bet that the moment Changbin Hyung saw Felix, he forgot that I came along!" Jeongin muttered with a little pout sitting on his lips, and Hyunjin couldn't help but laugh because he knows that's how Felix thinks, as well.

Hyunjin held open the door so the younger to stroll inside, and follows quickly behind as they walk inside. He takes a look around the store, and for a second, Hyunjin feels like a normal teenager. He doesn't feel the pressure anymore. He doesn't feel the strict rules laid upon him, doesn't feel the judgmental eyes staring at him all hours of the day, and doesn't feel the ache of being forced into a business he won't be happy in pursuing. For once, Hyunjin let's himself be happy in the moment, because he doesn't know the next time he will feel like this.

"Look, they have PacMan! I haven't seen one of those machines except on tv show!" Jeongin exclaimed. Hyunjin drew himself out of his trance in time to see the shine in Jeongin's eyes as the boy looked at the machine. He watched Jeongin look around to the other games, exclaiming once more with, "And they have a Donkey Kong game! This place is so cool! What game do you want to start with, Hyunjin-ssi?"

Hyunjin smile at him, "You don't have to be so formal with me, Jeonginnie. You're younger than I am, right?" Jeongin nods his head, "Then just call me Hyung! I don't care where we start, really, whichever game you want to play is fine with me!"

Hyunjin thought that Jeongin would be excited to choose the game, but he was shocked to see the boy's expression fall completely. His eyebrows furrowed, and he was confused as to why Jeongin just got so...sad? Why would Jeongin be sad right now?

Jeongin was biting his lip, as slowly, the boy answered Hyunjin's unasked questions, "Changbin Hyung and I live with some of our other friends. Chan Hyung is one of boys we live with, and he's  _very_ protective over me. I-I had to sneak out of the apartment to come here with Changbin, so I didn't get to ask Chan Hyung if I could borrow any money..." Jeongin was staring at his feet, and Hyunjin couldn't help but feel for the boy. More questions were now filling his mind as to why Jeongin lives with them instead of his parents, but that's something for another time.

Jeongin looked up at him once more, and thought there was a smile on his face, his eyes were filled with sadness, "But it's no big deal! I can watch you play, which will still be lots of fun! And Changbin Hyung would probably give me a five dollar bill if I asked him, but I feel bad asking since he already does so much for me and I just—"

" _Jeongin!_ " Hyunjin exclaimed, cutting off the younger boy. Jeongin's words came to a halt, and he looked at the boy with a questioning glance. Hyunjin continued with a little grin, "Don't worry about money, okay? I can cover it, I don't mind. We both know that my family has plenty to spare, so just let this be my treat, okay?" He finishes, and Jeongin was repeated shaking his head at the offer.

"Hyung, you don't have to do this for me! Really, it's alright. I feel bad with you paying for me, so you don't have to!" Jeongin says.

Hyunjin shakes his head, "I know that I don't  _have_  to, but I  _want_ to. Let me do this for you, Jeonginnie! Hey, there's a DDR machine in the corner! Let's go play it!" Hyunjin gently takes Jeongin's hand and pulls him to the machine, ignoring the boy's constant protests. When they get to the machine, Hyunjin puts in a dollar and steps onto the board. As he begins picking the song, he can see the way Jeongin reluctantly steps onto the board in the corner of his eye.

Hyunjin finds a song and gets ready to hit start, but he pauses for a second as an idea grows inside his head. With a smirk sitting on his lips, and says cheekily, "How about this: if I win, you can pay for whatever we do next time, but if you win, I get to pay again. Deal?" Hyunjin asks, before tapping on the start button.

Jeongin's head whipped around to face him, and he says shockingly, "Wait...there's going to be a next time?! You don't mind hanging out with me?"

Hyunjin smiled as the countdown appears on the screen, and he answers back confidently, "Of course I don't mind! You're really fun to be around! Plus, I'm your hyung now, so I have to take care of my Jeonginnie!" He put extra emphasis on the words my Jeonginnie, just to make sure the younger catches his drift. By the way Jeongin completely misses the first few arrows of the song, Hyunjin guess the boy caught on to his intended meaning. Hyunjin smiles.

_He could really get used to this._   
  
  
  
  
  


♔  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Changbin makes Felix feel above-the-moon.

They were on the first arcade game of the night and Felix  _might_  have been kicking Changbin's ass (metaphorically, of course). The boys decided to start out with something easy, so they went to the Skee Ball machines sitting in the corner. It was something Felix was very familiar with, and judging by how badly Changbin was doing at the game, he guessed the older was very  _unfamiliar_  with the game. Felix couldn't help but giggle at both him winning in a landslide and the sounds of frustration Changbin keeps letting out.

When the game ends, Changbin looked to the boy with a deep and bitter frown sitting over his lips. The older boy speaks in an irked tone, "How are you so good at this game?! Did you come here and practice, or something? There's no way you can just walk in and be amazing at this, I refuse to believe it!"

Felix laughs silent, and explains with a pretty smile resting on his lips, "When my mum and I lived in Australia, she would take me to arcades almost every weekend. We would play against each other in  _everything_ —kinda like you and I are doing now, except I'm pretty sure she would let me win," Felix smiled cheekily, "Though, I'm pretty sure I won on my own this time..."

Changbin rolls his eyes dramatically, and Felix let's out the biggest laugh that would normally make him feel embarrassed. If he was around his father right now, Felix would have been reprimanded for laughing like that. He wasn't acting the way he had been trained to act, but it was obvious he didn't care. Changbin didn't care either, and he speaks his words without any real bite behind them, "You're really cheeky sometimes, you know that? Lee Felix, a cheeky little brat."

Felix grins at him, "And you wouldn't want me any other way, right?"

Changbin didn't even answer the question, he just kisses over Felix's cheeks and nose and face until his lips landed on the other's. It was soft and sweet, the kind of kisses Felix could fall in love with. Felix only has eyes for Changbin. He forgets his surroundings, forgets his nerves, forgets all the bad things and focuses on the perfect boy in front of him.

The two break sooner than Felix was hoping, and he was quickly brought back into reality. But Changbin is smiling at him now and Felix can't be upset over anything when Changbin is looking at him like  _this_. He returns the happy expression as he begins dragging Changbin to the next game for them to play. This time, they stop at a Pac-Man machine, and Felix knows that he has this competition in the bag.

And like he was thinking, Felix completely dominated the competition. He could tell that Changbin was trying very hard to win this round, and part of Felix almost felt bad for winning in such a landslide. But then again, Felix is reminded of all the smack-talk Changbin was saying up until they both arrived, and he doesn't feel as bad anymore. Changbin was pouting when Felix turned around, and it only makes the younger boy giggle.

Changbin wrapped his arms around Felix's waist as his pout grows more exaggerated than before. Felix didn't know what he looked like right now, but if he had to guess, it would be the embodiment of what people say is  _heart-eyes_. Even when Changbin is being silly and not so serious, Felix can't get enough of him. He still feels the same happiness, and his heart still bursts inside his chest, and sometimes Felix wishes he and Changbin could run off and live out the rest of their lives together.

Sometimes, Felix wonders if he's in love.

" _Lixie_ ," Changbin whines, "Why are you beating me at everything!"

" _Why are you beating me at everything!_ " Felix counters, his tones mocking as he mimics the whine Changbin just let out. The older boy raises his eyebrows, taking a step back as if in shock of the younger's actions. And now that Felix got this started, it's kind of a fun joke to play on the other. He takes a step back as well, raising his eyebrows just as Changbin did moments before. He has to hold his breath to keep from laughing.

"Stop copying me!"

" _Stop copying me!_ "

Changbin pauses for a second, but then smirks as he says, "Seo Changbin is the best boyfriend in the whole wide world." 

And Felix guessed that Changbin had only said the sentence as a joke so he would stop copying him, but  _why_? Like, Changbin is the best boyfriend Felix could have asked for, so why would he even need to joke about it. So, Felix repeats the sentence said by the other boy, his voice going to joking to serious in a matter of moments, "Seo Changbin is the best boyfriend in the whole wide world, and I'm really lucky that he likes me."

Judging by the shocked expression on Changbin's face, the boy hadn't been expecting the sweet confession coming from the younger. He must have been expecting Felix to roll his eyes and end the joke there, but now he's blushing and is growing shy and Felix feels proud of himself because  _he caused that_! For the first time in ages,  _he_  was the one making  _Changbin_  feel flustered, and not the other way around! It was a victorious moment for the younger boy to dwell in for the time being.

Changbin didn't speak for a while, and Felix wondered if he overstepped with his words. He gulped, and his eyes grew worrisome and he opened his mouth to speak his apology. Though, he didn't get the chance to apologize as he was quickly cut off from speaking. Changbin's arms snaked around his waist as he pulls the younger closer to him. Felix's arms automatically fell across Changbin's shoulder's as the older rests his forehead against Felix's. Felix felt the pounding in his chest, and he loves how Changbin can still get him so worked up.

"Lee Felix, you have no idea how much I like you," Changbin's voice was low and deep and so serious, it was almost strange to hear the older talking like that. Felix grew timid, and he placed a little bit a space between the two as he shakes his head at the older's words. Changbin silently chuckled, "I'm serious! There's no way to even describe it, you know? Just know that I like you  _so much_ , and you  _never_  have to doubt that."

How did Felix get this lucky?

Felix didn't say anything, he just presses his lips against Changbin's for the umpteenth time that night, but it was obvious that this kiss feels different than the rest. There was a new feeling behind it, one that neither boy has ever experienced until this moment. It was exciting, it was warm, it was perfect. This moment could have gone on forever without either boy wanting it to end, but it seems the two aren't that lucky.

"Oh my god, why are you two always making out when I look at you!" Hyunjin shrieks, and Felix jumps away from Changbin as if he was a child caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. Hyunjin and Jeongin both shared looks of mock disgust as they looked between the two, and suddenly Felix feels too nervous. Hyunjin continues, and though Felix knows he's joking, it still stings to hear, "Jeonginnie and I were just trying to play PacMan, not watch you two lovebirds! Felix, I hope you know that whenever I get a partner, we're going to make out  _so much_!"

"I'm just shocked someone actually wants to kiss Changbin Hyung, I always thought he was going to grow old with a cat, or something," Jeongin pipes, and Felix felt himself crack the littlest of smiles when Changbin reprimands the younger. Jeongin is just so...precious. That was one of the first thing Felix noticed about the younger, and he can tell that Jeongin and Changbin have a very close friendship—much like he and Hyunjin.

Felix also noticed the way Hyunjin was looking at the red-head, but he decided that he'll mention that one later.

Changbin and Felix walk away from the game machine so that the other two boys could play a few rounds. The couple walked aimlessly through the arcade as they searched for the next game. Felix noticed a racing game against the wall, and he was about to call Changbin over to play it, but the notices the boy has walked off. Felix's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked around for the boy until spotting him in the corner of the room putting change inside a claw machine.

Felix walks to him with the same curious expression, stumbling upon the boy right as the game is about to start. Changbin was scanning his eyes over the toys sitting inside until his eyes fell upon a stuffed bunny. Now Felix was even more confused, because Changbin definitely didn't seem like a bunny kind of guy. He silently watches as the older starts the game, quietly admiring the way Changbin was so serious about winning. 

Though, Changbin completely missed the bunny he was aiming for, and Felix felt even more confused. He felt his phone buzz inside of his pocket, so he silently takes it out to check the notification before he places it back inside his pocket. When Felix looks back up, Changbin is placing a stuffed animal inside of his arms with a bashful smile resting on his face. Quietly, Changbin mutters the words, "It's something that you can have to remember me for the days we aren't together."

Felix looks down at his hands and smiles.  _Changbin won him a stuffed kangaroo_.

Felix wanted to say something, but Changbin started leading him back to where the other boys were standing. Changbin says his words in a low tone, "Jeongin and I probably need to get going. Chan Hyung will have both our asses if he finds out I snuck Jeonginnie out of the house," Changbin leaves a quick peck on Felix's cheek, nodding politely towards Hyunjin as he and Jeongin make their ways out of the arcade.

Felix was so focused on all the sweet gestures that he completely missed the strange vibe sitting in the air. Something fishy was going on, yet he was too blind to notice.

He has always been so oblivious...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! i hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!!
> 
> kudos and comments are very appreciated! <3
> 
> [graphics for the chapter](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14OEdMxJCsM2oNRRrjGZLzPqoXExvCMjxqWNO5dggc8o/edit?usp=sharing)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you again for reading! i have noticed so many different authors do this for their books, so i decided to do so as well! i made a google drive for how i picture the character, the scenery, and a small playlist of songs to listen to while reading! i will add the link here, so make sure to check it out!!
> 
>  
> 
> [click here to see it!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11A-wCbbYP5AIOpOn25k_B0fL8Qi3v-bWWna2CzFaruA/edit?usp=sharing)
> 
>  
> 
> make sure to follow me on twitter, i will constantly post sneak peaks and any updates or ideas i have for this story! so, make sure to hmu! @/nctzuyu
> 
> thanks for reading! all my love ~lauren


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